North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Saturday that the country tested a new underwater torpedo on Thursday to evaluate its technical progress, a test that Pyongyang described as an important step in developing its naval capabilities.
According to the report, the new torpedo travels at high speed and uses artificial intelligence to identify targets and guide its course. North Korean officials have said that the technology that powers this torpedo has been developed over the past five years and during more than 180 tests.
The test came after Pyongyang announced the test of two types of strategic cruise missiles capable of being launched from submarines; according to the country’s officials, the purpose of the tests was to evaluate the operational capabilities of the navy and military deterrence capabilities.
On the other hand, South Korea is also pursuing the development of its own advanced weapons. According to Reuters, President Lee Jae-myung last week oversaw the first test firing of a domestically developed hypersonic missile, which is capable of changing course in flight.
These developments are occurring amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the continuing arms race between the two countries to develop systems capable of bypassing missile defenses.
