North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday has ordered the “mass production” of suicide attack drones, after he witnessed a performance test of the system at a factory, state media reported.
“Kim underscored the need to build a serial production system as early as possible and go into full-scale mass production,” the Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, said.
Suicide drones are explosive-carrying drones designed to be deliberately crashed into enemy targets, effectively acting as guided missiles.
Pyongyang first unveiled its attack drones in August, with experts saying the capability may be attributable to the country's budding alliance with Russia.
Thursday's test saw the drones “precisely” hit targets after flying along predetermined paths, KCNA reported.
“The suicide attack drones to be used within different striking ranges are to perform a mission to precisely attack any enemy targets on the ground and in the sea,” the agency said.
Kim said the drones were an “easy to use... component of striking power” due to their relatively low production cost and expansive range of applications, according to KCNA.
He said the North had “recently attached importance” to developing unmanned hardware systems and to integrating them with the country's overall military strategy.
Experts said the drones -- in images released by state media in August -- looked similar to the Israeli-made “HAROP” drone, Russian-made “Lancet-3” and Israeli “HERO 30.”
North Korea may have acquired these technologies from Russia, which in turn likely obtained them from Iran -- with Tehran itself suspected of accessing them through hacking or theft from Israel.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between South Korea and North Korea.
Pyongyang had recently tested the Hwasong-19 missile, which it said was “the world's strongest” ICBM. The country is accused of deploying thousands of troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine.
