In the latest enhancement in military capabilities, North Korea tested AI-enabled suicide drones and reconnaissance drones. According to the state media, the KCNA, Kim Jong Un, oversaw tests on Thursday.
In the report, KCNA quoted the North Korean leader, he said, “The field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritized and developed to modernize the armed forces.”
The same report highlighted upgraded reconnaissance drones capable of tracking targets on land and sea, as well as newly unveiled airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft, as the country augments its existing land-based radar systems.
After inspecting reconnaissance drones, Kim was seen examining a large four-engine aircraft with a radar dome, believed to be a modified Russian Il-76 cargo plane, according to photos published by the KCNA.
“The ability of an AEW aircraft to look down mitigates some of the challenges of the terrain and ground-clutter returns to track low-flying aircraft and cruise missiles,” the report said.
KCNA also reported tests of attack drones, with images showing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) striking targets.
Kim was on a visit to a drone technology complex and an electronic warfare research group earlier this week, where the tests took place, according to the report.
Missile tests
Previously this week, the state media also reported that North Korea successfully test-fired its latest surface-to-air missile system. The test was conducted just after South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual joint military drills. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also watched the launch of the anti-aircraft missile system that was recently put into full-scale production.
Recently, North Korea has called up its military capabilities, drone technologies, missile capabilities and nuclear warheads. Russia and North Korea have seen collaborating militarily against Western dominance in each other’s sphere of influence. The Korean peninsula has recently seen a wide-scale militarization due to North Korean upgradation of advanced weapons. It has worried South Korea. The Korean peninsula region has become important for the US and its allies, such as South Korea and Japan, due to the increased influence of China and North Korea in the China Sea. North Korea drone test
