The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un orders mass production of suicide drones. This was reported by the North Korean news agency KCNA, according to which Pyongyang’s number one attended the test of a drone yesterday. During the inspection, he underlined the urgency of increasing the production of newly developed military drones, giving instructions to begin “large-scale mass production” as soon as possible. Already in August, Kim had called for an increase in the production of unmanned vehicles equipped with explosives and designed to be launched against enemy targets.
The news comes after the green light for the agreement between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin – with the ratification of the historic defense pact with Russia which seals ever-deepening security cooperation between the two nations in the midst of Moscow’s war in Ukraine – and, above all, at the end of the new military maneuvers of the Armed Forces of the United States, Japan and South Korea in the midst of growing tensions with China and Pyongyang.
The exercises involved the use of warships, aircraft carriers and fighters. The Tokyo Defense Ministry announced that the ‘Freedom Edge’ maneuvers were mainly concentrated in the East China Sea with the aim of demonstrating the “strength and capabilities” of the alliance.
Japan participated with the Js Haguro destroyer, F-15 and Mitsubishi F-2 fighters, a patrol aircraft and a Boeing. South Korea has deployed two destroyers, a patrol plane and several F-15s. The United States employed the aircraft carrier George Washington, the destroyers Higgins, McCampbell and Dewey, a reconnaissance aircraft and F-15 and F-18 fighters.
This is the second cycle of the ‘Freedom Edge’ maneuvers, which continued for three days after last summer’s land, sea and air exercises.