North Korea tested a new high-speed torpedo in the Sea of Japan on Monday, with the weapon due to enter navy service from early 2027, the state Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday.
Defense research bodies including the Missile General Bureau carried out the test, according to the report. The test confirmed the torpedo system's combat effectiveness.
The report made no mention of the test of "Cham 2.0," a new ultra-high-speed precision-guided torpedo using a rocket propulsion unit and artificial intelligence, which North Korea tested on Oct. 15.
The Rodong Sinmun, the Workers' Party organ read inside North Korea, did not carry the test. The decision to announce it through the external-facing state agency points to an effort to advertise naval strength abroad.
Why it matters for Japan
A torpedo fielded across the North Korean fleet from early 2027 would put a harder-to-track threat into the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. North Korea has paired the naval program with a run of AI-themed weapons announcements.
State media said on Oct. 17 that a new torpedo used AI to search for and guide toward targets. On Oct. 3 it said a missile had been fitted with AI and a variable flight-path capability.
On Oct. 13, state media claimed "great achievements" in ballistic missile technology, in what appeared to be confirmation of an irregular-trajectory performance.