Kim Jong Un Orders Boost in Suicide Drone Production, Highlighting Their Role in Modern Combat

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un revisited the testing site for suicide attack drones after a three-month hiatus to supervise performance trials and order mass production to commence.

The state-run media Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday that Kim had inspected the performance tests of various suicide attack drones manufactured by research institutes and enterprises under the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology Alliance.

According to the report, Kim expressed satisfaction with the tactical and technical specifications of the newly developed drones during his on-site visit. He emphasized the need to swiftly establish a serial production system and initiate full-scale mass production.

Kim commented on the accelerating global race to integrate cutting-edge technologies into drones and utilize them as key military assets, highlighting their growing importance. He noted that their low production costs and simple manufacturing processes make them increasingly viable as strike components in new domains.

The North Korean leader remarked that militaries worldwide likely acknowledge the apparent successes drones have achieved in various conflicts, describing this trend as an essential requirement in modern warfare.

Kim asserted that North Korea possesses ample potential and capabilities to produce diverse types of drones and expressed confidence in their ability to develop and apply new, promising tactical methods that align with the demands of contemporary warfare.

The report indicated that Kim outlined a strategic directive for advancing unmanned armed systems. He stressed that the Workers’ Party has prioritized efforts to integrate these systems with operational plans and combat strategies.

The news agency described the attack drones inspected by Kim as suicide attack unmanned aerial vehicles designed for deployment in various strike ranges on land and at sea, capable of precisely targeting enemy objectives.

During the performance tests, the drones successfully navigated predetermined tactical flight paths and accurately struck designated targets.

Senior Workers’ Party officials, including Ri Byong Chol and Jo Yong Won, as well as the general manager of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology Alliance, accompanied Kim during this inspection.

This visit follows North Korea’s first public demonstration of suicide attack drone performance tests in August, which Kim also attended.