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North Korea says it has successfully tested a new high-speed torpedo using artificial intelligence to detect targets and guide its movement, as Pyongyang steps up efforts to modernise its navy.
Mariyam Adheela
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea says it has tested a new artificial intelligence-powered torpedo -- Photo: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pyongyang — North Korea has tested a new artificial intelligence-powered torpedo designed to detect targets and guide itself underwater, state media reported on Saturday, amid growing efforts to strengthen the country’s naval capabilities.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the underwater test of the Zam-2.0 precision-guided torpedo took place on Thursday to verify technical improvements to the weapon.
According to KCNA, artificial intelligence technology has been incorporated into the torpedo’s target detection and guidance systems. However, the report did not provide detailed technical specifications or independently verifiable evidence of its capabilities.
North Korea also said the test demonstrated the performance of the weapon’s rocket propulsion system and technologies designed to improve propulsion efficiency. The country claimed that related technologies had undergone more than 180 tests over the past five years.
The latest test comes as Pyongyang intensifies its weapons development programme, with a growing focus on naval capabilities, including submarine-launched missiles and modern warships.
Earlier this week, North Korea reported testing two types of strategic cruise missiles launched from a submarine. The country has also continued developing weapons intended to strengthen its military deterrence amid prolonged tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea’s military had not immediately commented on the reported torpedo test, according to reports. Experts have cautioned that North Korea’s claims about advanced weapons technology should be treated carefully, as the extent of the torpedo’s artificial intelligence capabilities remains unclear.
The announcement comes amid a prolonged stalemate in nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States, while diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and Seoul remain severely strained.
