North Korea had another parade of weapons this week, but there were two oddities in the mix of the usual missiles. The country unveiled two new aircraft that look nearly identical to a pair of US military drones: the MQ-9 Reaper and the RQ-4 Global Hawk.
Although the exact combat and reconnaissance capabilities of the new systems are unclear, their development and visual similarities to American unmanned aerial vehicles highlight efforts by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to elevate his country's drone program and potentially emulate that of the US.
Photos and videos of the military parade held in Pyongyang on Thursday showed a convoy of trucks carrying drones that closely resemble the Reaper, a powerful and well-armed combat drone able to carry up to eight AGM-114 Hellfire missiles that can also carry out effective intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Thousands of people can be seen standing along the sidelines and waving North Korean flags. The demonstration was meant to mark 70 years since the Korean War armistice — which ended three years of brutal fighting but not the war itself — and was attended by both Chinese and Russian delegations, the latter of which featured Moscow's embattled defense minister, Sergei Shoigu.
North Korea also published a video this week of the Reaper lookalike firing an unspecified type of missile in flight. That same footage featured the other drone doppelganger — an aircraft that appeared very similar to the RQ-4 Global Hawk. This unarmed system, which is significantly larger than the MQ-9, can operate at high altitudes and perform long-endurance ISR missions.
Photos from a defense exhibition held in Pyongyang ahead of the parade also showed the Global Hawk lookalike stamped with the North Korean flag on its engine.
Details surrounding North Korea's two new drones are scarce, and it's not immediately clear how closely they resemble their apparent American inspirations from an operational perspective. While both the Reaper and Globe Hawk have proven themselves in US military operations, the former being used regularly for counter-ISIS missions in the Middle East, the North Korean systems have only been used for show.
State-run media outlet KCNA referred to the systems as a "strategic reconnaissance drone" and a "multi-purpose attack drone," which were "newly developed and produced" for the country's air force.
The new releases came amid a flurry of rare diplomatic activity for Kim Jong Un, which coincided with Thursday's high-profile military parade. Although North Korea commemorates the armistice anniversary as "Victory Day," the three-year-long armed conflict element of the Korean War ultimately ended in a stalemate.
Visits by the Russian and Chinese delegations came amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, underscored by a recent string of North Korean missile tests and joint military drills between the US and South Korea. Last week, the Ohio-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky arrived in South Korea, marking the first time in decades that an American nuclear-armed sub had docked in the country.
Meanwhile, state media said Shoigu and Kim discussed regional and international security issues, and Moscow's defense chief even presented the North Korean dictator with an autographed letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin. North Korea is one of a few countries to back the Kremlin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, although Pyongyang has denied US assertions that it sent weapons to Moscow's military.
Among the weapons Kim showed the visiting Russian delegation was North Korea's solid-fueled Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a nuclear-capable missile that can deliver warheads to targets thousands of miles away and which represents a notable achievement for North Korea's weapons development program.
Solid-fueled weapons tend to be a greater threat than liquid-fueled systems because they can be fueled ahead of time and then launched without any warning. Liquid-propellant missiles, meanwhile, can only be fueled safely right before launch in an upright position. This creates a time-consuming and intense logistical process, which can leave the weapons vulnerable to preemptive attacks since they're openly visible for longer.
Pyongyang first unveiled the design for the Hwasong-18 at a February parade marking 75 years since the country's army war was founded, and it has now tested the missile twice, with the most recent test taking place earlier this month. Though earlier ICBMs were liquid-fueled, work in recent years has indicated a pivot toward the use of solid-fueled systems.
North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test since 2017 but remains determined to stand among the world's nuclear powers, despite widespread international pressure and concern. Testing has been more focused on delivery systems as opposed to warheads though.
"The United States strongly condemns the DPRK for its test of a long-range ballistic missile," the White House said in a statement after the July test, referring to North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"This launch is a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region," the White House added. "This action demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people."
