N. Korea tests new torpedo, eyes early 2027 deployment

North Korea has test-fired a new type of torpedo in the East Sea, with plans to deploy the system with its Navy in early 2027, according to state media reports. The Academy of Defense Sciences, the Missile Administration, and the Torpedo Weapon Research Bureau verified the combat effectiveness of the new high-speed torpedo system on Monday.

The test was part of the obligatory activities of the defense research institutes to put weapons technology on a highly-developed basis. The North gave no further details on the torpedo's specifications. Pyongyang has been pushing to strengthen its naval capabilities with a string of weapons tests, including an underwater test of a new high-speed, precision-guided torpedo that uses artificial intelligence technology, and firing two types of strategic cruise missiles from a presumed 3,000-ton submarine.

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