In a new military exercise, Kim Jong-un's regime dropped cluster bombs attached to ballistic missiles

A test to evaluate the effectiveness of a major weapons system (KCNA via REUTERS) North Korea reported this Sunday that it tested cluster bombs that can be attached to tactical ballistic missiles and announced that its units will have several types of dispersal warheads before the end of the year. The Missile Administration of Pyongyang carried out the test to evaluate the weapon's combat adaptation and the warhead's capability, according to the state agency KCNA. General Kim Jong-sik supervised the test. North Korean missile research institutes indicated that the warhead evaluated can "reduce a target area of 12 to 13 hectares to ashes with its highest density power." A cluster bomb can be launched from the air, land, or sea. The device opens during its trajectory and releases dozens or hundreds of submunitions over a wide area. The General Missile Directorate classified the dispersal warheads into four categories, including special-use and standard ones. "Throughout this year, we will make it so that the units can select and use all these warheads according to the objectives of the operation and the characteristics of the targets to be eliminated," its director assured, according to KCNA. The statement affirmed that the "type 2 standard dispersal warhead is capable of razing a target area of between 12 and 13 hectares with extreme density." A weapons demonstration during the "Unmanned Aerial Technology Development – 2026" exhibition in North Korea (KCNA via REUTERS) In April, North Korea also reported a test of cluster bombs installed on ballistic missiles. Pyongyang stated at the time that the launch sought to measure the power of a dispersal warhead and another equipped with fragmentation mines. The launch added to a series of missile tests and a drone exhibition with which Pyongyang has intensified its demonstrations of military capability in recent weeks. North Korea launched around 10 ballistic missiles on Thursday from its eastern coast toward the sea, a test that coincided with the visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to South Korea to participate in a summit. The military exercise was initially detected by the South Korean Army and the Japanese Defense Ministry. Analysts consulted in the text maintain that these activities could be a response to the regime's efforts to modernize its Armed Forces. North Korea has also gained experience in contemporary warfare after sending troops to the conflict in Ukraine in support of its ally, Moscow. On Friday, the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un called for achieving "absolute superiority" in drone technology during an exhibition and demonstration of unmanned aerial systems. The demonstration of power included suicide attack tactical drones, tactical cruise missiles, multipurpose drones, and 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers, the state agency KCNA reported. A weapons demonstration during the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology Development – 2026 exhibition (KCNA via REUTERS) The exhibition reflected Pyongyang's push to modernize its Armed Forces through drones and artificial intelligence, while the regime takes lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and other international conflicts. Kim has repeatedly called for the development of drones and military applications of artificial intelligence. In November 2024, state media reported that he ordered the mass production of suicide attack drones. In March 2025, the North Korean dictator supervised tests of versions equipped with artificial intelligence. In September of that year, he declared that AI constitutes a top priority for the modernization of weaponry. (With information from Europa Press and Reuters)