- WIADOMOŚCI
North Korea’s new torpedo: Strategic impact and 2027 goals
North Korea has conducted a test of a new high-speed torpedo in the Sea of Japan, which is set to enter service with the navy in early 2027, state media reported on Tuesday.
According to a brief KCNA statement, on Monday the Academy of Defence Science, the Missile General Bureau, and the Torpedo Weapon Research Bureau „verified the combat effectiveness” of the new system. The agency added that the trial was part of „mandatory activities” by research institutes aimed at the development of weaponry technology.
North Korean media did not reveal the weapon’s specifications or publish photographs of the test. However, according to the Yonhap news agency, the test was intended to confirm key propulsion technologies refined during more than 180 trials conducted over the past five years.
A South Korean Ministry of Unification official, cited by Yonhap, assessed that the test’s objective was likely to „demonstrate enhanced naval power and improved underwater weapon systems.” He emphasised that further analyses are necessary given the lack of official technical data and images.
Kim Jong Un’s regime has been intensifying its naval build-up in recent months. In October, it tested a high-speed, precision-guided torpedo utilising artificial intelligence and launched two types of strategic cruise missiles from a submarine. In June and September, it commissioned two 5,000-tonne destroyers: the Choe Hyon and the Kang Kon.
