Kim Jong Un oversees tests of AI suicide drones

In the latest display of North Korea‘s growing military capabilities, Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of AI-enabled suicide drones and reconnaissance drones, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. 

“The field of unmanned equipment and artificial intelligence should be top-prioritized and developed in modernizing the armed forces,” KCNA quoted the North Korean leader as saying.

Kim oversees military modernization

Kim inspected upgraded reconnaissance drones capable of tracking targets on land and sea, as well as newly unveiled airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft, as the North augments its existing land-based radar systems.

He was seen examining a large four-engine aircraft with a radar dome, believed to be a modified Russian Il-76 cargo plane, according to photos published by the agency. 

“The ability of an AEW aircraft to look down mitigates some of the challenges of the terrain and ground-clutter returns to track low-flying aircraft and cruise missiles,” the report said.

KCNA also reported tests of attack drones, with images showing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) striking targets.

Kim was on a visit to a drone technology complex and an electronic warfare research group earlier this week, where the tests took place, according to the report.

North Korean troops in Russia

South Korean national security adviser Shin Won-sik said in November that Russia has supplied Pyongyang with anti-air missiles and air defense systems in exchange for military support in the Ukraine war.

These North Korean troops are now believed to be gaining valuable drone warfare experience.

On Thursday, Seoul’s military said that the North has sent “an additional 3,000 troops were sent between January and February as reinforcements” to aid Russia’s war efforts.

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, of the 11,000 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia initially, about 4,000 have been killed or injured.