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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for development and production of more "suicide drones" to enhance war preparedness, amid tensions brewing in the Korean peninsula.
South Korean news outlet Yonhap reported Monday that Kim had on August 24 overseen a performance test of various drones. It cited a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) about the North Korean Supreme Leader supervising test organised by the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Sciences. During the testing, the drones flown along preset courses destroyed designated targets. The drones have the ability to attack enemy targets on the ground in air and in the sea. Kim was quoted by KNCA as saying that it was necessary to develop and produce more suicide drones "to be used in tactical infantry and special operation units, as well as strategic reconnaissance and multi-purpose attack drones." The North Korean leader also raised the need for proactively introducing artificial intelligence technology into the development of drones. Yonhap published photos carried by the KCNA showed two white suicide attack drones hitting and destroying mock targets of what look like K-2 tanks stating that North Korea has unveiled photos of such weapons for the first time. Earlier this month, 250 new tactical nuclear capable ballistic missile launchers, which serve as "pivot military hardware" were unveiled by Kim Jong Un to the country's forces. In his speech to military troops at the event, Kim said the US-led alliance has changed into a military bloc based on nuclear power and that Pyongyang will have enhanced nuclear readiness to deter nuclear threats and protect itself to respond to any challenges. As per a report by Yonhap news outlet, North Korea has recently been ramping up weapons tests, as Seoul and Washington are stepping up efforts to bolster America's extended deterrence commitment to mobilizing the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally. It said that North Korea has fired more than 100 ballistic missiles since last year, including Hwasong-18 ICBMs. The solid-fuel ICBM type is among the high-tech weapons that the North has vowed to develop, which also includes a military spy satellite and a nuclear-powered submarine. At a key party meeting held in December 2023, the North's leader called for an "exponential" increase in its nuclear arsenal and the development of tactical nuclear weapons that target its "undoubted enemy" of South Korea. A New York Times report recently said that US President Joe Biden had in March this year approved a classified document ordering US forces to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China and North Korea. Also in July this year the foreign ministers of Quad-a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States- criticised North Korea for using ballistic missile technology and continuing its pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), and urged the country to comply with all UNSCRs. (ANI)
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