North Korea has continued to demonstrate its military strength through a series of recent weapons tests, most notably involving advanced torpedo technology. On Tuesday, the country's state-run news agency, KCNA, announced that Pyongyang had successfully conducted a new test of torpedoes designed to equip the North Korean navy starting in 2027. KCNA had reported AI guidance in a separate October test. [1]
The latest test, held on Monday, was described by KCNA as a verification of the combat effectiveness of a new type of high-speed torpedo system. In mid-October, KCNA described an earlier trial as involving AI guidance. The agency’s account of Monday’s test described speed and did not attribute AI guidance to that test. [1]
The focus on naval expansion is particularly notable given that North Korea's surface fleet has historically consisted mostly of small patrol boats and midget submarines. Recent efforts have aimed to introduce larger, more sophisticated vessels capable of operating further from shore. [1]
In addition to the torpedo tests, North Korea has made visible progress in shipbuilding. In 2025, the country launched two destroyers, each displacing approximately 5,000 tons. These vessels are among the largest warships ever constructed by North Korea and signal a departure from its traditional reliance on smaller, low-profile craft. Plans are reportedly underway to develop an even larger class of destroyers, potentially weighing 10,000 tons, which would represent a substantial leap in naval engineering for the isolated state. [1]
Kim Jong-un has also publicly claimed that North Korea is constructing a warship with combat capabilities that no other country possesses, including nuclear armament. While the existence of such a vessel remains unverified by independent sources, the statement underscores the regime's ambition to develop unique strategic deterrents. [1]
As the story develops
Update
North Korea Announces 2027 Torpedo Deployment After Speed Trial
North Korea announced Tuesday its intention to deploy a new high-speed torpedo at the beginning of 2027, following a test of the underwater projectile carried out the previous day amid inter-Korean tensions and ahead of US President Donald Trump's Asian tour. [2]
According to the North Korean news agency KCNA, Pyongyang planned to introduce the new high-speed torpedo system into its armed forces from the beginning of 2027, without providing further details, according to EFE reports taken up by Agerpress. [2]
According to the same source, a test with a torpedo of this type was carried out the previous day in the Sea of Japan, thereby verifying the combat effectiveness of this weapon. [2]
North Korean authorities announced last month tests with a new high-speed torpedo system incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), without providing information about the exact speed, instead signaling that propulsion technologies had been refined in dozens of tests carried out in recent years. [2]
The announcement regarding the new North Korean torpedo comes amidst fresh inter-Korean tensions following the explosion in September of two anti-personnel mines in the Demilitarized Zone, an blast that injured three South Korean soldiers and led to mutual accusations between Pyongyang and Seoul over responsibility for placing those mines. The mine explosions occurred during an operation conducted by South Korea jointly with the United Nations Command (UNC) to verify Seoul's suspicions that Pyongyang had illegally planted mines in the area. Another mine was discovered later nearby. [2]
Separately from this incident, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the agreement the US gave to South Korea to possess nuclear-powered submarines, assessing that it adds a new element of instability to the security environment of the Asia-Pacific region. The first submarine of this kind is expected to enter the South Korean army's inventory around the middle of the next decade. [2]
North Korea's tensions with the US were recently intensified by the accusation formulated by the FBI regarding Pyongyang's involvement in a cyber attack through which digital assets worth approximately 6.3 billion dollars were stolen from the cryptocurrency trading platform Binance. [2]
US President Donald Trump, who announced his intention to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will carry out an Asian tour in the coming days, which will include participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Philippine capital Manila, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. [2]
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