North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has personally supervised a fresh round of weapons trials showcasing modernised artillery systems and a tactical missile warhead, state media reported on Friday, in a move likely to heighten security concerns among Seoul and its allies.
The tests, attended by senior party and military officials including Jang Chang Ha, head of the North’s General Directorate of Missiles, involved an analysis and combat evaluation of an upgraded 240 mm multiple rocket launcher system fitted with 24 tubes, as well as a warhead designed for a special-purpose tactical ballistic missile. The live-fire drills also assessed the accuracy of an extended-range shell for the country’s 155 mm self-propelled howitzer.
Friday’s display follows a flurry of weapons activity in late May, when Pyongyang tested a new multi-purpose light missile launch platform and a volley of tactical cruise missiles incorporating artificial-intelligence technology.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency, the new cruise missile is equipped with AI-enabled terminal guidance, married to a high-precision autonomous navigation and terrain contour matching system. The projectile is reportedly capable of striking targets up to 100 kilometres away with pinpoint accuracy, using a combined glide-and-powered flight profile.
