North Korea's Kim Jong-un orders mass production of 'suicide drones'
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has ordered the mass production of suicide drones, state media reported. These loitering munitions are designed to crash into targets on land and sea. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim supervised a test where these drones successfully hit their targets after following predetermined paths. Images from the test showed the destruction of a BMW sedan and old tank models.
Kim Jong-un stresses urgency of drone production
The report said that Kim emphasized the importance of quickly setting up a serial production system for these drones. He said, "The military authorities in the world will probably recognize that the drones are achieving clear successes in big and small conflicts." The North Korean leader also called these drones an "easy to use... component of striking power" because of their low production cost and wide range of applications.
North Korea's drone development linked to Russia
Reportedly, the development of these drones is linked to North Korea's growing military cooperation with Russia. Experts believe North Korea may have acquired drone technology from Russia, which may have acquired it from Iran. Iran may have accessed them through hacking or theft from Israel, AFP reported. In August, North Korea first unveiled attack drones, which resemble Israeli-made "HAROP" and Russian-made "Lancet-3" models. The unveiling came amid joint military exercises by the US, South Korea, and Japan in international waters.
Suicide drones used in escalating conflicts around the world
Suicide drones have been utilized in growing conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, to avoid the costly and deadly employment of cruise and ballistic missiles. This isn't the first time North Korea's supreme commander has experimented with suicide drones. In August, Kim oversaw a test of domestically made attack drones and stated that Pyongyang's military should have them "as early as possible."
