Kim Jong Un pushes mass production of suicide drones

Nov 15, 2024

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor)

North Korea is expanding its drone arsenal, with leader Kim Jong Un ordering the mass production of suicide drones. The low-cost, precision weapons are designed to strike targets on land and sea.

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The move reflects North Korea’s push to integrate unmanned technology into its military strategy as it modernizes its arsenal amid regional security challenges.

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Kim’s directive comes as North Korea strengthens military ties with Russia. Analysts suggest Pyongyang could be leveraging this relationship to enhance its drone capabilities.

North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of troops to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine, marking its first major foreign deployment since the Korean War.

Suicide drones, also known as loitering munitions, have gained prominence in conflicts like Ukraine and the Middle East for their precision and operational efficiency.

South Korean and U.S. officials have raised concerns that North Korea may use these drones as “suicide bombers” or for reconnaissance missions along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which divides the two Koreas.

North Korea has previously deployed drones across the DMZ, with some reaching as far as Seoul, South Korea’s capital. In response, South Korea has strengthened its anti-drone defenses and conducted its own drone incursions into North Korean territory, exposing gaps in Pyongyang’s surveillance systems.

State-run Korean Central News Agency reported drones tested this week “precisely” hit their targets. However, those claims have yet to be verified.

Analysts warn that North Korea’s advancements could further destabilize the region, particularly as its military cooperation with Russia deepens.

Tags: Drones, Kim Jong Un, North Korea, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, South Korea, South Korean Military, Suicide

[craig nigrelli]

NORTH KOREA IS RAMPING UP ITS DRONE ARSENAL, WITH LEADER KIM JONG UN ORDERING THE MASS PRODUCTION OF SUICIDE DRONES—LOW-COST, PRECISION WEAPONS DESIGNED TO STRIKE TARGETS ON LAND AND SEA. THE PUSH FOR MASS PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS PYONGYANG’S EFFORTS TO INTEGRATE UNMANNED TECHNOLOGY INTO ITS MILITARY STRATEGY AMID EVOLVING SECURITY CHALLENGES AND REGIONAL TENSIONS.

ANALYSTS SUGGEST NORTH KOREA MAY BE LEVERAGING ITS GROWING MILITARY TIES WITH RUSSIA TO ENHANCE ITS DRONE CAPABILITIES. REPORTS INDICATE THAT NORTH KOREA HAS SENT THOUSANDS OF TROOPS TO SUPPORT RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE, MARKING ITS FIRST MAJOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT SINCE THE KOREAN WAR.

KIM’S FOCUS ON DRONE DEVELOPMENT REFLECTS LESSONS LEARNED FROM CONFLICTS IN UKRAINE AND THE MIDDLE EAST, WHERE LOITERING MUNITIONS—COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS SUICIDE DRONES—HAVE PROVEN EFFECTIVE IN DELIVERING PRECISION STRIKES WITH LOW OPERATIONAL COSTS.

SOUTH KOREAN AND U.S. OFFICIALS HAVE RAISED CONCERNS THAT NORTH KOREA COULD USE DRONES FOR RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS OR AS “SUICIDE BOMBERS” ACROSS THE HEAVILY FORTIFIED DEMILITARIZED ZONE.

NORTH KOREA HAS PREVIOUSLY DEPLOYED DRONES INTO SOUTH KOREAN AIRSPACE, WITH SOME REACHING SEOUL. THESE INCURSIONS PROMPTED SOUTH KOREA TO STRENGTHEN ITS ANTI-DRONE DEFENSES AND DEPLOY COUNTERMEASURES TO NEUTRALIZE AERIAL THREATS.

IN ONE CASE, SOUTH KOREA RESPONDED BY SENDING ITS OWN DRONES INTO NORTH KOREAN AIRSPACE, EXPOSING GAPS IN PYONGYANG’S SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS.

THE STATE-RUN KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY REPORTED THAT NORTH KOREA’S DRONES “PRECISELY” HIT THEIR TARGETS DURING RECENT TESTS, THOUGH SUCH CLAIMS REMAIN UNVERIFIED. ANALYSTS WARN THAT NORTH KOREA’S GROWING FOCUS ON UNMANNED SYSTEMS, COUPLED WITH ITS EXPANDING MILITARY COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, COULD FURTHER DESTABILIZE THE REGION.

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