North Korea this week tested a new underwater nuclear attack drone in response to US-South Korean military exercises, North Korea's state news agency KCNA said Friday (March 24th).
From Tuesday to Thursday, the North Korean military deployed off the coast of South Hamgyong Province and tested the new weapons system, whose mission is to "produce a large-scale radioactive tsunami" by an underwater explosion and destroy enemy ships and ports, according to KCNA received in Seoul.
"This underwater nuclear attack drone can be deployed on any coast or port and towed by a surface ship," KCNA reported. At the time of the underwater explosion, the drone had sailed for 59 hours and 12 minutes at a depth of 80 to 150 meters.
'Warn the enemy'
The Northern Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party launched the tests "with the aim of warning the enemy of a real nuclear crisis and verifying the reliability of the nuclear self-defense force."
North Korea fired several cruise missiles on Wednesday, according to the South Korean military, which is currently conducting large-scale joint exercises with the United States. North Korea views all such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion of its territory and has repeatedly warned that it will respond to them in a "massive" manner.
The new launches and tests come about a week after Pyongyang test-fired its most powerful missile, the Hwasong-17, its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in 2023.
With AFP
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