According to official media, North Korea has reportedly tested an underwater attack drone capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. More than a week after disclosing a new underwater drone system named Haeil-1 (which translates to “tsunami” in Korean) that is meant to perform stealth assaults in enemy seas, the country tested the so-called Haeil-2. While experts are divided on whether or not the undersea vehicle is combat ready, many agree that North Korea is keen to show off its arsenal in the face of the massive military drills being conducted by the United States and South Korea in recent weeks.
State media KCNA stated on Saturday that the latest test occurred between April 4 and April 7. The CIA said that the test bomb was exploded and that the underwater nuclear attack drone Haeil-2 has “cruised” a simulated distance of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) underwater. There was “perfect proof” that the undersea strategic weapon system is reliable and has lethal assault potential, according to the study. North Korea conducted an unprecedented number of weapons tests in 2022 and has kept up the military momentum so far this year, saying it needs to strengthen its defenses because it perceives US-South Korean drills, which included at least one US nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bomber this week, as practice for an invasion. North Korea reported successful testing of a submarine-based nuclear attack drone on March 23. The drone was reportedly capable of releasing a “radioactive tsunami.” According to official state media at the time, the drone had been submerged for 59 hours and 12 minutes before to its explosion.
As leader Kim Jong Un ordered the manufacturing of weapons-grade nuclear material to be stepped up, satellite images also suggested a high level of activity at North Korea’s main nuclear complex. Last year, North Korea announced its nuclear capabilities as “irreversible,” and Kim has since ordered the North Korean military to step up training for “actual war.” With the failure of the second high-profile meeting between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump in 2019, negotiations on denuclearization have halted. As a result of its weapons programs, Pyongyang is subject to international restrictions, including a prohibition on ballistic missile testing.
