State media depicts Kim Jong Un looking ecstatic after a test in which drones crashed into what appeared to be a tank...
**26 Aug 2024**
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen a test of domestically-developed attack drones, according to state media KCNA.
On Monday, North Korean media released photos showing a white drone with X-shaped tails and wings crashing into and destroying a target resembling South Korea’s K-2 main battle tank.
Kim, pictured at a desk with advisers, is advancing the modernization of his country's military and weapons capabilities amid escalating tensions with Washington and Seoul.
The test was conducted during a visit to the Drone Institute of North Korea’s Academy of Defense Science. Kim emphasized the significance of drones in modern warfare, urging their rapid development and deployment. He called for the accelerated production of various systems, including explosive drones for infantry and special operations, reconnaissance and multi-purpose attack drones, and underwater suicide drones.
In the images, Kim Jong Un, dressed in a white lab coat and a light beige cap, is seen laughing and surrounded by a group of older men, all of whom are smiling and pointing at a screen displaying a tank.
Pyongyang has intensified its tactical warfare capabilities with short-range missiles and heavy artillery targeting South Korea, following significant advancements in its longer-range ballistic missile and nuclear programs despite international sanctions.
The drone test coincides with a large-scale exercise conducted by the United States and South Korean militaries to bolster their combined defense capabilities against the North Korean threat. The drills are set to continue until Thursday.
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