North Korea orders mass production of suicide drones: report

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the "mass production" of suicide attack drones, saying the introduction of such unmanned aerial vehicles around the world requires an urgent update of military theory, state media reported on Friday.

Kim supervised the tests of drones designed to hit both land and sea targets, produced by North Korea's Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex (UATC).

"He underscored the need to build a serial production system as early as possible and go into full-scale mass production," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"Suicide drones" are explosive-carrying aerial vehicles designed to be deliberately crashed into enemy targets.

North Korea's military cooperation with Russia raises concerns in the West

Kim had previously overseen the test of suicide drones earlier in the year amid a rapidly developing military cooperation with Russia.

Drones have been widely used in the war in Ukraine as well as in the Middle East.

North Korea unveiled its suicide drones for the first time in August.

This week's test in North Korea saw the drones "precisely" hit targets, according to KCNA.

"The suicide attack drones to be used within different striking ranges are to perform a mission to precisely attack any enemy targets on the ground and in the sea," the North Korean state news agency reported.

KCNA reported Kim as saying the drones were an "easy to use... component of striking power" due to their relatively low production cost and expansive range of applications.

Kim added that the North had "recently attached importance" to developing unmanned hardware systems and to integrating them with the country's overall military strategy.

North Korea has frequently ballistic missile tests, defying UN sanctions.

jsi/sms (Reuters, AFP, AP)