Seoul [South Korea]: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has supervised testing of "suicide attack" drones and called for prompt full-scale mass production, state media reported on Friday.
The Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as saying that the drones, also known as loitering munitions, emerged as "an essential requirement in military aspect nowadays" as per a report in Yonhap.
"The competition for using drones as the main means of military capabilities...is being accelerated in the world," he said.
Kim provided on-site guidance for the tests of various types of suicide attack drones, produced by an affiliated institute of the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex and related companies, the previous day, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
It also published photos of Kim talking with officials near at least two different types of unmanned aerial vehicles.
As per the KCNA, the "suicide attack drones" to be used within different striking ranges are to perform a mission to "precisely attack any enemy targets on the ground and at sea"
The tests involved the drones precisely hitting the targets after flying along various preset tactical routes, it added.
North Korea first disclosed a performance test of suicide attack drones in August, which was also overseen by Kim on-site.
The development comes amid the recent military exercises of the United States, South Korea and Japan in international waters near North Korea which saw participation by ships and aircraft.
The US Indo-Pacific Command on Tuesday in a statement said the operation dubbed 'Freedom Edge' continues to demonstrate the defensive posture and unbreakable will of Japan, South Korea and the US to promote trilateral multidomain interoperability and to protect freedom for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula.
Recently Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law, ratifying the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Russia and North Korea, which includes a provision committing both nations to mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either side.
—ANI