North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un watched a suicide drone dive onto a replica of an American M1 Abrams tank and blow it up during a weapons demonstration Thursday. The display signals Pyongyang’s growing interest in the kind of drone warfare that has transformed the battlefield in Ukraine.
The demonstration was part of an exhibition featuring more than 30 types of unmanned aircraft, ranging from small attack drones to large reconnaissance platforms, according to Army Recognition. North Korea also fired cruise missiles and heavy rocket artillery, and Kim called for rapid advances in drone technology, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Images released Friday show a slim, propeller-driven loitering munition descending on a sand-colored Abrams mockup, followed by a fireball at the target. North Korean officials did not reveal the drone’s range or warhead size, Defence Blog reported.
Defence Blog noted that the drone’s cross-shaped wings and rear propeller resemble the Israeli-designed Hero-400 loitering munition. That weapon has been fielded by the U.S. Marine Corps. However, the photos alone do not show whether the North Korean version has similar capabilities. American armored units rotating through South Korea operate Abrams tanks.
The tanks were not the only targets. The regime also struck mock South Korean military guard posts, K9 self-propelled howitzers and counterbattery radar systems, according to Army Recognition. The exhibition also featured first-person-view attack quadcopters and cheap, expendable battlefield drones.
Several of the systems appeared to use fiber-optic guidance. That technology links a drone to its operator by cable instead of radio, which makes it resistant to conventional jamming. The approach has become widespread in Ukraine.
One new flying-wing drone resembles America’s RQ-170 Sentinel and Russia’s S-70 Okhotnik, suggesting an effort to reduce radar visibility, though its stealth capabilities remain unproven. Pyongyang also showed off the Saetbyol-4 surveillance drone, which looks like the U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk, and the armed Saetbyol-9, which resembles the MQ-9 Reaper. Photos showed the Saetbyol-9 firing an air-to-surface missile.
According to KCNA, Kim said the regime must pursue “absolute superiority” in drone technology as warfare evolves. He also pressed researchers to expand the use of artificial intelligence in unmanned weapons.
State media claimed that the regime’s suicide drones, air-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles hit island targets with 100% accuracy. That claim has not been independently verified.
The regime also publicly demonstrated its 600 mm multiple rocket launcher, nicknamed “Sniper,” for the first time. Photos showed more than 10 launchers firing at once, according to Yonhap.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff detected roughly 10 short-range ballistic missiles fired Thursday from the Wonsan area. The missiles flew about 250 kilometers. It was North Korea’s 17th ballistic missile launch of 2026.
A South Korean military official said the launchers likely belong to the KN-25 family, which Pyongyang claims can carry tactical nuclear warheads. Structures visible in the photos suggest the demonstration took place at Wonsan-Kalma Airport, according to Yonhap.
The show of force comes as North Korea deepens its military partnership with Russia. According to South Korean intelligence, more than 16,000 North Korean personnel have deployed to Russia since October 2024 to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Army Recognition reported that battlefield experience with attack drones, electronic warfare and artillery coordination could help Pyongyang refine its weapons. Still, the exhibition did not prove that its newest drones are operational, mass-produced or tied into a real-time targeting network.
