DPRK dictator orders mass production of attack drones
15 November, 2024 Tests of North Korean strike drones. November 2024. Photo: KCNA
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, after testing locally developed attack drones, ordered their mass production. The state news agency KCNA reported on this. It is alleged that during the tests that took place the day before, the different types of kamikaze drones flew different routes and accurately hit targets.
In the DPRK, these UAVs are designed to engage enemy land and sea targets with high precision. The dictator also said that North Korea had all the necessary capabilities and potential to produce various types of drones and would continue to improve them in accordance with the requirements of modern warfare.
Tests of attack drones by the DPRK. November 2024.
Photo credits: KCNA
The published photos from the test show drones of various types and sizes. Although the photos are blurry, their silhouettes suggest that some drones are similar in design to the Israeli Hero kamikaze drone or the Russian Lancet drone.
The Kamikaze drones of the DPRK. November 2024.
Photo credits: KCNA
Others are similar to the Israeli Harop or the Iranian Shahed-136 drones, which is produced in Russia under the name Geran-2 and is actively used for the strikes against Ukraine. The DPRK's close ties with Russia could expand their cooperation in the development and production of attack drones, in particular. Russia could share its developments in this area and its experience in using them as part of the payment for military assistance provided by North Korea.
Kim Jong Un near North Korean drones similar to Harop and Hero, August 24, 2024.
Photo credits: KCNA
The DPRK first showed the footage of testing its own attack drones of a similar constitution in August 2024. The tactical and technical characteristics of these drones are currently unknown. Recently, North Korea has jammed GPS signals in the Yellow Sea using electronic warfare systems, causing navigation disruptions for civilian ships and aircraft.
The tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high.
In addition to the traditional demonstration missile tests and military exercises by both the DPRK and South Korea, this year the DPRK resorted to "attacking" its southern neighbor with garbage balloons.