North Korean leader Kim Jong-un revisited a testing site for suicide attack drones, three months after his last inspection, emphasizing the need for mass production of the drones, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on November 14.
According to KCNA, Kim supervised performance tests on various types of suicide drones produced by research institutes and factories under the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex.
The drones are designed for precise attacks on designated targets, with capabilities to operate in both land and sea environments, KCNA stated.
During the tests, multiple drones flew along tactically planned routes, striking their targets with precision at varying distances. Expressing satisfaction with the technical specifications and tactical features of the newly developed drones, Kim stressed the importance of establishing a production line as soon as possible and advancing to full-scale mass production.
Kim noted, “The competition for using drones as the main means of military capabilities by introducing innovative technology is being accelerated in the world.”
“It is easy to use them as a component of striking power in a new domain due to their ever-expanding range of use in military activities, low production cost, and simple production lines.”
He further asserted, “The military authorities in the world will probably recognize that the drones are achieving clear successes in big and small conflicts. This is a trend that has emerged as an essential requirement in the military aspect nowadays.”
Kim also noted that North Korea possesses the capability and potential to produce diverse types of drones and intends to combine promising new tactics to meet the requirements of modern warfare. He stated that the country is committed to enhancing its military policies by integrating unmanned systems with operational strategies and combat principles.
This inspection follows Kim’s initial publicized visit to a suicide drone performance test site in August, where North Korean media released similar images of drones taking off and striking targets.
BY HYEJEONG JEONG, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
