North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the test of an upgraded 240mm rocket launcher system, the country’s media said earlier today. The system “proved its superiority in mobility and strike concentration” during the inspection testing, state news agency said.
Earlier this week, Kim also oversaw tests of new “suicide drones,” and urged researchers to develop artificial intelligence for the unmanned vehicles.
U.S. and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells, missiles and other equipment in recent months for Moscow to use in its war on Ukraine. From last year until August 4, North Korea has shipped more than 12,000 containers to Russia, sending three or four kinds of shells of different sizes including rockets, and separately also supplied dozens of short range missiles, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said.
Moscow and Pyongyang have denied accusations of arms transfers but have vowed to deepen military relations. A Russian delegation led by the vice minister of industry held talks with North Korean counterparts on Tuesday to further develop economic cooperation between the two countries, according to KCNA.
South Korea meanwhile has stated that it will deploy laser weapons to shoot down North Korean drones this year, becoming the world’s first country to deploy and operate such weapons in the military, and some skyscrapers in Seoul host anti-aircraft guns on their roofs to tackle aerial threats from the north.
North Korea also slammed the United States and South Korea over the sale of Apache attack helicopters to Seoul. The Hermit Kingdom accused Washington of “disturbing the military balance and thus increasing the danger of a new conflict” in the region by supplying lethal weapons to its allies and friends.
The United States and South Korea are currently holding their annual summertime military exercise called Ulchi Shield. Through the war games the armed forces of the two nations seek to boost their joint readiness to fend off North Korea’s weapons and cyber threats. The exercise will conclude tomorrow.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
