North Korea tests cluster-bomb warheads for tactical ballistic missiles
State media claims one warhead can destroy 12 to 13 hectares and says military units will be able to use all types by the end of 2026.
North Korea has test-fired cluster-bomb warheads designed for tactical ballistic missiles, with state media claiming one type can destroy a target area of 12 to 13 hectares, The Japan Times, CNA and The Hindu reported.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the test was held to "assess adaptation to combat and power of a cluster-bomb warhead to be tipped on tactical ballistic missiles". CNA reported that the country's defence science research institutes carried it out. The Hindu said the test took place on Saturday, October 31, and that KCNA reported it on Sunday, while CNA dated the KCNA report to Saturday.
According to CNA, the destruction figure applies to a standard Type 2 warhead at its highest density. The Hindu quoted officials as saying the weapon "is capable of turning into ashes a target area of 12 to 13 hectares with its highest-density power".
An official at North Korea's missile administration said the warheads fall into four categories but did not elaborate, CNA reported. The Hindu quoted the administration's general director as saying: "Within this year we will enable units to select and use all those types according to operational aims and specific features of targets."
Photos released by KCNA showed a projectile firing from a mobile launcher and multiple cluster-bomb impacts on an island target, The Hindu reported. Kim Jong Un did not attend. The North Korean leader oversaw a test-launch of cluster-bomb warheads mounted on a ballistic missile in April, accompanied by his daughter Ju Ae, the newspaper said.
The latest launch follows a run of weapons activity. CNA reported that North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles from its east coast toward the sea on October 29, when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in South Korea for a summit. The Hindu said recent trials also included attack drones, a new precision-guided torpedo system and an intermediate-range hypersonic missile.
CNA also reported that Pyongyang has held a drone exhibition in recent weeks, and that the North has gained experience in modern warfare by sending troops to the war in Ukraine for its ally Moscow.
The test also comes amid tension on the border between the two Koreas, where a landmine explosion wounded three South Korean soldiers, The Hindu reported. The North has denied responsibility. It has vowed to further fortify its border areas and resume its loudspeaker campaign.
Sources: The Japan Times, North Korea fires off cluster bomb warheads in latest ‘major’ weapons test; CNA, North Korea says defence research institutes tested major weapon system; The Hindu, North Korea tests cluster-bomb warheads in latest weapons drill.
