North Korea Tests New Underwater Nuclear-Capable, Attack Drone: US Threatened again?
- According to state media, North Korea has conducted a test of a new attack drone capable of carrying nuclear weapons underwater. The drone is designed to cause a “radioactive tsunami” that would effectively destroy enemy ships and ports.
- North Korea’s military carried out a military exercise this week, led by their leader Kim Jong Un, which included the deployment and test-firing of their new weapons system. The objective of the test was to assess the system’s ability to trigger a large-scale destructive blast and wave, as reported by the country’s state news agency, KCNA, on Friday.
- KCNA stated that the nuclear underwater attack drone has the flexibility to be deployed at any coastal region or port, and can also be towed by a surface ship for operations. As part of the military exercise, the drone was placed into the water off South Hamgyong province on Tuesday, where it remained submerged for 59 hours and 12 minutes, at a depth ranging from 80 to 150 meters (260 to 490 feet). The drone detonated in the waters off North Korea’s east coast on Thursday.
- KCNA did not provide any additional details about the nuclear capabilities of the drone. However, the news agency stated that the underwater drone system is specifically designed to conduct surprise attacks in enemy waters and to eliminate naval striker groups and critical operational ports.
- According to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the drone’s ultimate target during the military exercise was a simulated enemy port located in Hongwon Bay’s waters, as stated in the state media report.
- The recently reported drone exercise coincides with the arrival of a US amphibious assault ship in South Korea for joint military drills, called “Freedom Shield.” These drills come in response to North Korea’s extensive weapons testing and aggressive rhetoric over the past year. The United States and South Korea have increased their defence cooperation in light of this situation and have already launched their most massive joint military exercises in five years on March 13th.
- Over the past weekend, the United States and South Korea conducted air and sea drills that included the use of US B-1B strategic bombers. Additionally, their navies and marine corps are preparing to launch the extensive Ssangyong amphibious landing exercises, which will continue for two weeks, ending on April 3.
- Yonhap News Agency reported that the North Korean news agency criticized the joint US-South Korean exercises and claimed that they had “pushed the military and political situation on the Korean peninsula to an irreversibly dangerous point.”
- North Korea has frequently accused Washington and Seoul of conducting military exercises as preparations for a future invasion, and it has justified its own weapons tests as a response to such drills.
- KCNA reported that Kim Jong Un personally supervised this week’s underwater drone exercise and stated that it should serve as a warning to Washington and Seoul, making them aware of “the DPRK’s unlimited nuclear war deterrence capability being bolstered up at a greater speed.”
- In a separate show of military strength this week, North Korea acknowledged launching four cruise missiles on Wednesday to conduct tactical nuclear-attack exercises. The missiles were equipped with a “test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead” and reportedly travelled between 1,500 and 1,800 km (932 to 1,120 miles), according to a report by KCNA news agency on Friday
- On Thursday, South Korea’s military confirmed that North Korea had launched four cruise missiles off the country’s east coast the day before.
- According to KCNA, two strategic “Hwasal-1” cruise missiles and two strategic “Hwasal-2” cruise missiles were fired from South Hamgyong province and accurately hit their targets in the East Sea, which is also known as the Sea of Japan.
- These launches come approximately one week after North Korea conducted its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test of the year, using its largest and most powerful missile, the Hwasong-17.
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