Accessibility links

Breaking News

North Korea Tests Nuclear-Capable Underwater Drone, State Media Say


FILE - A screen grab shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting nuclear warheads at an undisclosed location in this undated still image used in a video released March 28, 2023. (KRT/Handout via Reuters)
FILE - A screen grab shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting nuclear warheads at an undisclosed location in this undated still image used in a video released March 28, 2023. (KRT/Handout via Reuters)

North Korea conducted another test of a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, state media said on Saturday, the latest in a show of force against the U.S. and South Korea.

The country tested another kind of a nuclear-capable unmanned underwater attack weapon called Haeil-2, more than a week after it disclosed a new underwater drone system dubbed Haeil-1, which translates to tsunami in Korean, designed to make sneak attacks in enemy waters.

Analysts said North Korea was displaying its diverse nuclear delivery capabilities against Washington and Seoul, though they were skeptical about whether the underwater vehicle was ready for deployment.

During the underwater strategic weapon system test that ran from Tuesday through Friday, state media KCNA said, the drone navigated 1,000 km of underwater distance for 71 hours, 6 minutes and successfully hit a simulated target.

"The test perfectly proved the reliability of the underwater strategic weapon system and its fatal attack ability," KCNA said.

North Korea has ramped up its military activities in recent weeks, protesting the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.

It unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads and fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

  • 16x9 Image

    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

XS
SM
MD
LG