(DCNF)—North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un watched a suicide drone plunge toward a mock American M1 Abrams tank before an explosion engulfed the target during a weapons demonstration Thursday.
The Thursday demonstration accompanied an exhibition showcasing more than 30 types of unmanned aircraft, from small attack drones to large reconnaissance platforms, according to Army Recognition. Pyongyang also launched cruise missiles and heavy rocket artillery as Kim demanded rapid advances in drone warfare, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Images released Friday show a slender, propeller-driven loitering munition descending toward a sand-colored Abrams replica. Another frame captures a fireball at the target site, while North Korean authorities disclosed neither the drone’s range nor its warhead size, Defence Blog reported.
The drone’s cross-shaped wings and rear propeller resemble the Israeli-designed Hero-400 loitering munition, according to Defence Blog. The photographs alone do not establish whether the North Korean weapon possesses the same capabilities.
One post from Korea Defense Blog on X shows exactly what these drones looked like in action.
The U.S. Marine Corps has fielded the Hero-400, while American armored units rotating through South Korea operate Abrams tanks, according to Defence Blog.
Other targets included mock South Korean military guard posts, K9 self-propelled howitzers and counterbattery radar systems, according to Army Recognition. The display also included first-person-view attack quadcopters and inexpensive expendable drones intended for battlefield use.
Several systems appeared to employ fiber-optic guidance, which connects a drone to its operator through a cable rather than a radio link. That approach can defeat conventional radio-frequency jamming and has become increasingly common in Ukraine, Army Recognition reported.
One newly displayed flying-wing drone resembles the American RQ-170 Sentinel and Russia’s S-70 Okhotnik, according to Army Recognition. Its design suggests an interest in reducing radar visibility, although its actual stealth capabilities remain unproven. The exhibition also featured the Saetbyol-4 surveillance drone, modeled in appearance on America’s RQ-4 Global Hawk, and the armed Saetbyol-9, which resembles the MQ-9 Reaper. Photographs showed the Saetbyol-9 launching an air-to-surface missile.
Kim called the pursuit of “absolute superiority” in drone technology necessary as warfare changes, according to KCNA. He also urged researchers to expand the use of artificial intelligence in unmanned weapons.
North Korean state media claimed its suicide drones, air-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles struck designated island targets with 100% accuracy, according to KCNA. That claim has not been independently verified.
The regime also publicly demonstrated its 600 mm multiple rocket launcher, dubbed “Sniper,” for the first time, KCNA reported.
Photographs showed more than 10 launchers firing simultaneously, according to Yonhap.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detected approximately 10 short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Wonsan area Thursday, traveling roughly 250 kilometers, Yonhap reported, citing the military. The launches marked North Korea’s 17th ballistic missile launch of 2026.
A South Korean military official identified the launchers as likely belonging to the KN-25 family, which Pyongyang claims can carry tactical nuclear warheads, according to Yonhap.
Pyongyang did not disclose the demonstration’s location, although structures visible in the photographs suggested Wonsan-Kalma Airport, the outlet reported.
The drone developments coincide with Pyongyang’s military cooperation with Moscow and its participation in Russia’s war against Ukraine. More than 16,000 North Korean personnel have deployed to Russia since October 2024, according to South Korean intelligence assessments cited by Army Recognition.
Experience with attack drones, electronic warfare and artillery coordination could help North Korea adapt weapons for future conflicts, Army Recognition reported. However, the exhibition did not establish that its newest drones are operational, mass-produced or connected to a real-time targeting network.
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