'Special mission warhead': North Korea tests AI-guided cruise missiles, ballistic rockets near South Korea

North Korea on Wednesday tested a mix of tactical ballistic missiles, artillery rockets and AI-guided precision cruise missiles designed for modern warfare, according to state news agency KCNA.The tests came a day after South Korea’s military said it had detected the launch of multiple projectiles, including a ballistic missile. The projectiles reportedly travelled around 80 kilometres before landing in the Yellow Sea.KCNA said the launches were conducted to assess the power of a “special mission warhead” mounted on tactical ballistic missiles, the reliability of long-range multiple-launch artillery rockets, and the accuracy of AI-guided tactical cruise missiles.According to the state agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said, “The tests in particular confirmed the combat readiness of cruise missiles that will be deployed at artillery units near the border with South Korea, equipped with precision navigation and AI-guided control that can strike targets at 100 km (62 miles).”“It is an essential condition for our army's operations to have such destructive power as enough to make any encountering force impossible to survive theoretically, apart from fortune,” he added.Analysts said the latest tests signal Pyongyang’s intent to strengthen its precision-strike capabilities below the nuclear threshold.“With the latest launch, Pyongyang is indicating that it intends to deploy such a weapon system in the event of war,” said analyst Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. “It highlights precise, long-range, automated conventional firepower capable of overwhelming the South even below the nuclear threshold,” he added.According to Hong, North Korea’s claims likely refer to an upgraded version of an existing digital guidance system integrated with automatic target recognition technology. The weapons system reportedly combines tactical cruise missiles, guided multiple-launch rocket systems and tactical ballistic missiles into a single precision-strike complex.According to Reuters, North Korea has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles and artillery rockets since late 2023, weapons that Moscow is believed to have used in the war in Ukraine. Analysts believe the battlefield use of those weapons has provided Pyongyang with valuable operational data for improving its missile arsenal.In April, Pyongyang conducted its eighth weapons test of the year to “verify the characteristics and power of a cluster bomb warhead,” state media had reported at the time.