North Korean president orders ‘mass production’ of attack drones

SEOUL: North Korean President Kim Jong Un has ordered the “mass production” of attack drones, state media reported on Friday, as concerns mount over the country´s deepening military cooperation with Russia.

Pyongyang first unveiled its attack drones in August, with experts saying the capability may be attributable to the country´s budding alliance with Russia.

The nuclear-armed country has ratified a landmark defence pact with Moscow and is accused of deploying thousands of troops to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, prompting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to warn about the potential transfer of sensitive Russian military technology to North Korea. Kim on Thursday oversaw the tests of drones designed to hit both land and sea targets, produced by North Korea´s Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

“He underscored the need to build a serial production system as early as possible and go into full-scale mass production,” KCNA said.

The unmanned drones are designed to carry explosives and be deliberately crashed into enemy targets, effectively acting as guided missiles.

Thursday´s test saw the drones “precisely” hit targets after flying along predetermined paths, KCNA reported.

“The suicide attack drones to be used within different striking ranges are to perform a mission to precisely attack any enemy targets on the ground and in the sea,” the agency said. Kim said the drones were an “easy to use... component of striking power” due to their relatively low production cost and expansive range of applications, according to KCNA.