Quick Take: New Drone Launching System Shown
Among the new weaponry shown during North Korea’s October 10 parade marking the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea was a truck-based drone launching system.
This new launch system can house six loitering munition-type drones, each within its own enclosure. The six enclosures make up a single structure. Pistons move the structure to an angle that can launch drones in an upwards trajectory.
Based on previously published photographs, the drones appear associated with the canard design rail-launched models North Korea has been testing, or a variant of them. They have a small rocket to give them an initial boost.
The parade featured four of these trucks, each apparently loaded with six drones. North Korea has shown censored photographs of what appears to be the same drone during testing. In addition, Kim Jong Un recently called for production of all drones to be increased.
Drones were also on display at the Defense Development 2025 exhibition that recently took place in Pyongyang. The first edition of the expo occurred in 2023 and is where the country’s modern drone program made its debut.
The large Saetbyol-4 (샛별-4 or Morning Star 4) drone does not appear to have been displayed at this year’s expo. However, the Saetbyol-9 (샛별-9 or Morning Star 9), which is similar to the US MQ-9, was on display alongside several smaller drones.
