North Korea tests new underwater drone capable of carrying nuclear weapons

North Korea tested a new underwater combat dronecapable of carrying nuclear weapons Tests became a demonstrative gesture after the head of the DPRK Kim Jong-in demanded an end to joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

This was reported by the North Korean state news agency KCNA. As noted, during the tests, a new North Korean UAV flew under water at a depth of 80 to 150 m over 59 hours and detonated a non-nuclear payload in the waters off its east coast on 23 March.

The new drone system, dubbed “Hail” (“Tsunami”), is designed to carry out surprise attacks in enemy waters Yes destruction of naval strike groups and major operational ports by creating a large radioactive wave with an underwater explosion, according to KCNA.

“This nuclear submarine attack drone can be deployed to any coast and port, or towed by a surface ship for exploitation,” the agency said, adding that Kim Jong Un watched the tests.

A spokesman for the South Korean army stated that Seoul analyzes North Korean claims. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were no signs of nuclear testing.

According to analysts, North Korea is demonstrating its increasingly diverse nuclear threats Washington and Seoul, although they are skeptical whether the submersible is ready for deployment, Reuters writes.

North Korea intends to file signal the United States and South Korea “that in the event of war, the potential vectors for the delivery of nuclear weapons that allies would have to worry about and target would be enormous,” explained a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Ankit Panda.

“There will be mines, railway cars, submarines and mobile missile launchers. And now they are adding this underwater torpedo,” he said.

Previously, North Korea launched a short-range missile from a buried silo that deviates from conventional basing methods.

A photo released by North Korean state media shows Kim smiling next to a large torpedo-like object, but does not identify it as a new drone. Other photos show traces of the object’s underwater trajectory and explosions on the sea surface.

According to Ankit Panda, the combat concept of this weapon is similar to Russian nuclear torpedoes “Poseidon” – a new category of weapons designed to create devastating radioactive explosions in coastal areas in response to a strike.

Friday the President of South Korea Yoon Seok Yeol said he would make sure North Korea paid the price for its “reckless provocations” in a speech commemorating servicemen who died in clashes with North Korea in western waters, including the sinking of a warship in 2010. South Korea claimed it was hit by a North Korean torpedo.

North Korea said on Wednesday it launched cruise missiles for practicing tactical nuclear strikes. According to KCNA, the cruise missiles were equipped with a “test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead” and flew 1,500-1,800 km.

On Monday, South Korean and US troops launched the largest in recent years of study from an amphibious landing involving an American landing ship.

North Korea said the exercise requires its forces to “prepare for total war and strengthen their nuclear forces both quantitatively and qualitatively on a priority basis.” Allegedly, these teachings are preparing for an invasion of North Korea.

South Korea and the US claim that training has purely defensive, and criticize North Korea’s testing as destabilizing and violating UN sanctions.

On Thursday, the Allies ended an 11-day regular spring exercise called Freedom Shield 23, but are continuing other field exercises.

Kim Jong-un demanded that the allies stop “reckless military exercises.”

Defense Intelligence Agency director Scott Berrier said on Wednesday that the North Korean leader did not seem ready to conduct a nuclear test during US and South Korean military exercises, but the US remained vigilant.