North Korea displayed attack drones and other unmanned weapons at a military exhibition attended by leader Kim Jong Un, who called for faster development of drone technology and artificial intelligence for national defense, according to state-run media reported on Friday, October 30, 2026.
The Korean Central News Agency said Kim attended a demonstration on Thursday alongside an exhibition focused on unmanned aviation technology. The display included suicide attack drones and multipurpose drones carrying air-to-surface missiles, as well as tactical cruise missiles and a 600mm multiple rocket launcher system.
A dedicated display for unmanned aviation
KCNA said the exhibition presented recent North Korean achievements in drone development. Photos released by North Korean media showed drones launching missiles and suicide attack drones striking targets made to resemble guard posts and tanks. KCNA described the reported results as having “100 percent accuracy,” a claim that was not independently verified.
“The scientists of our country should go all out for obtaining miraculous results in development of unmanned aeronautical technology and AI for national defense,” Kim Jong Un said, according to KCNA.
Kim also said that “absolute superiority” in drone technology was an “indispensable option” as the character of modern warfare changes, KCNA reported. His comments came as North Korea continues to emphasize the expansion of conventional and nuclear military capabilities in response to what it describes as security threats led by the United States.
South Korea reports related launches
South Korea’s military said it detected around a dozen projectiles launched Thursday from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons traveled about 155 miles and included short-range ballistic missiles. South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were analyzing their precise specifications, according to the report.
North Korean media said the 600mm multiple rocket launcher, identified as “Sniper,” fired publicly for the first time during the demonstration. KCNA did not disclose the location or flight distances associated with that firing. The display combined the rocket system with cruise missiles and drones, but the available reporting did not establish which weapons were responsible for individual effects shown in the released imagery.
Program development and battlefield experience
North Korea has repeatedly signaled an effort to expand its drone fleet. Kim ordered mass production of suicide attack drones in November 2024 and oversaw tests of AI-equipped attack drones in March 2025, according to the report.
- Weapons shown: suicide attack drones, multipurpose drones with air-to-surface missiles and tactical cruise missiles.
- Related launch report: South Korea said around a dozen projectiles were detected from the Wonsan area.
- North Korean claim: KCNA said drones and missiles hit an islet target with “100 percent accuracy.”
The extent of North Korea’s operational drone capability remains unclear. Analysts have said the country’s program dates back at least to 2011. North Korean troops sent to Russia to support its war against Ukraine may also have gained experience with drone warfare from Russian forces and their own battlefield exposure, according to reporting cited in the account. That assessment was presented as expert analysis rather than a confirmed description of North Korea’s current capabilities.
