North Korea unveils its first airborne radar, AI-powered suicide drones

TAIPEI, Taiwan – North Korea unveiled what appears to be its first airborne radar system and suicide attack drones equipped with artificial intelligence, adding to indications that Russia has provided technical assistance in exchange for the North sending troops to fight Ukraine.

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, published photos of the early-warning airplane on Thursday and said leader Kim Jong Un boarded the aircraft and instructed military officials.

Airborne radar systems are generally used to detect incoming aircraft, ships, vehicles and missiles so defending forces can attack them. Suicide drones are able to occupy airspace for a long period before detonating a warhead.

Reports emerged in September that North Korea was “making progress” in modifying a Russian aircraft to become its first airborne radar system.

British thinktank International Institute for Strategic Studies has said work on converting one of the three Ilyushin IL-76 Candid aircraft that Russia supplied to North Korea in the early 1990s was being carried out at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport.

In early March, satellite images showed that the North was close to completing the modification of the aircraft.

KCNA also highlighted the trial of a reconnaissance drone and released photos of a suicide drone test, inspected by Kim, showing what it said were AI-powered drones successfully hitting ground targets, including a tank.

During the inspection, Kim “made an important evaluation of the military effectiveness and strategic value of the strategic reconnaissance drone with improved performance and the suicide attack drones with the introduction of new artificial intelligence,” KCNA said.

(KCNA via Reuters)

“Proved at the test was the innovative performance of a new-type strategic reconnaissance drone with the detective ability capable of tracking and monitoring different strategic targets and enemy troops’ activities on the ground and the sea,” the report said.

Kim stressed that the unmanned equipment and AI fields should be “top-prioritized,” according to KCNA.

Pyongyang and Moscow reportedly reached an agreement in February under which Russia will provide technical assistance to North Korea for the development and mass production of various types of drones.

The agreement was in return for North Korea’s deployment of soldiers to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Military analysts also believe North Korea has supplied conventional weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine in return for military and economic assistance.

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Separately, Kim also observed the flight of an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft that resembles the U.S. Global Hawk, or RQ-4, according to the KCNA.

In July 2023, North Korea unveiled a strategic unmanned reconnaissance aircraft similar to the Global Hawk at a weapons exhibition.

During the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, locally known as Victory Day, in the same month, the North’s state-run broadcaster aired a flight scene of this aircraft, referred to as “Saetbyul-4.”

But the unmanned reconnaissance aircraft observed by Kim this time had narrower and longer wings compared to Saetbyul-4.

KCNA said Kim also expressed satisfaction with “new electronic jamming and attack weapon systems” under production. Kim said modernization of North Korea’s army is being “qualitatively attained,” according to KCNA.

Edited by Mike Firn and Stephen Wright.