North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversees tests of new AI-equipped suicide drones
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has personally supervised his country's testing of new AI-equipped suicide and reconnaissance drones and called for unmanned aircraft and artificial intelligence to be prioritised in military modernisation plans.
State-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday that Kim oversaw the testing of 'various kinds of reconnaissance and suicide drones' produced by North Korea's Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex.
The new North Korean drones are capable of 'tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troop activities on the ground and the sea', while the attack drones will 'be used for various tactical attack missions', KCNA said, noting that both drone systems have been equipped with 'new artificial intelligence'.
Kim agreed to expand the production capacity of 'unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence' and emphasised the importance of creating a long-term plan for North Korea to promote 'the rapid development' of 'intelligent drones', which is 'the trend of modern warfare'.
Pictures from the tests, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, were said to show attack drones successfully striking ground targets, including military vehicles.
Kim was pictured walking with aides near a newly developed unmanned aerial reconnaissance aircraft, which appeared to be larger than a fighter jet, and was seen boarding an airborne early warning and control (AEW) aircraft, according to pictures released by KCNA.
The photos mark the first time such an aircraft was unveiled by the North, which was equipped with a radar dome on the fuselage, similar to the Boeing-manufactured Peace Eye operated by the South Korean air force.
North Korea's efforts to create an early warning aircraft were previously reported by analysts who had used commercial satellite imagery to discover Pyongyang was converting a Russian-made Il-76 cargo aircraft into an early-warning role.
The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said in a report last year that an AEW aircraft would help augment North Korea's existing land-based radar systems, though just one aircraft would not be enough.
During his visit to the test site, Kim was also briefed on intelligence-gathering capabilities as well as electronic jamming and attack systems newly developed by the country's electronic warfare group, KCNA said.
The government of South Korea and analysts have repeatedly warned about the potential transfer of sensitive Russian military technology to North Korea in return for Kim's provision of thousands of North Korean troops and weapons to support Russia's war with Ukraine.
Seoul's military said on Thursday that North Korea has so far this year supplied Russia with an additional 3,000 troops as well as missiles and other ammunition.
'It is estimated that an additional 3,000 troops were sent between January and February as reinforcements,' South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding that of the initial 11,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia in 2024, 4,000 are believed to have been killed or wounded.
'In addition to manpower, North Korea continues to supply missiles, artillery equipment, and ammunition,' according to a report by the JCS.
'So far, it is assessed that North Korea has provided a significant quantity of short-range ballistic missiles [SRBMs], as well as about 220 units of 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket launchers,' it said.
The JCS also warned that 'these numbers could increase depending on the situation on the battlefield'.
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