North Korea Now Launches Tactical Cruise-Glide Munitions from Drones

Launch footage unveiled at Unmanned Aviation Technology Development exhibition
North Korea's version of a small-diameter bomb... glides to strike targets

The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 30th that it had held the “Unmanned Aerial Technology Development-2026” exhibition on the 29th. It claimed that at a show of force held that day, air-to-ground missiles and cruise missiles launched from tactical suicide attack drones and multipurpose drones precisely struck island targets with 100% accuracy. Yonhap News Agency

North Korea has for the first time launched a tactical cruise-glide munition from a stealth drone. The munition is said to improve strike accuracy by using a seeker and to be capable of gliding, allowing it to strike targets via a detour.

The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 29th that "Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un attended the 'Unmanned Aviation Technology Development-2026' exhibition," adding that "various types of strategic and operational-tactical multipurpose drones and suicide attack drones were on display." It further reported that "air-to-ground missiles and cruise munitions launched from tactical suicide attack drones and multipurpose drones precisely struck island targets with 100% accuracy."

The munition North Korea launched from a stealth drone is a tactical cruise-glide munition. It is similar to the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), a precision-guided weapon jointly developed by Boeing in the United States and Saab in Sweden. After launch, the munition unfolds its wings and glides to hit its target. North Korea appears to have highlighted the quantitative and qualitative expansion of its unmanned forces at the exhibition, while also showcasing the strike capabilities of both its unmanned forces and its firepower systems through a simultaneous firing of super-large multiple rocket launchers.

Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said, "More than 30 types of drones were unveiled at the exhibition, including stealth drones and first-person-view (FPV) suicide drones, which were shown for the first time. North Korea also unveiled an air-to-ground tactical cruise-glide munition in a live-fire demonstration for the first time and simultaneously launched 15 600-mm super-large multiple rocket launchers."

Photos released by North Korean media showed around 10 600-mm super-large multiple rocket launchers being fired simultaneously, as well as a suicide drone attacking a simulated target believed to be a South Korean military guard post. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea at around 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 29. The JCS said the missiles flew about 250 kilometers and that South Korean and U.S. authorities were conducting a detailed analysis. The ballistic missiles North Korea launched were believed to be 600-mm super-large multiple rocket launchers (KN-25). North Korea claims the 600-mm super-large multiple rocket launcher can carry its Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warhead and is a weapon for striking South Korea.

Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said, "North Korea demonstrated its precision by simultaneously firing 15 super-large multiple rocket launchers, an unprecedented salvo." He added, "By using simulated targets such as South Korean military guard posts, counter-battery radars and K9 self-propelled howitzers, as well as U.S. M1 Abrams tanks, North Korea was sending a message that, in the event of a conflict, it could easily destroy South Korean military installations near the front lines and U.S. ground forces with drones."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.