North Korea conducts tests of the Haeil 2 strategic submarine system
Between early April and the middle of the month, North Korea announced that it conducted a series of demonstrations involving the Haeil 2 strategic submarine system designed to carry nuclear payloads. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that the test program included a nuclear radio-controlled underwater attack vehicle that took part in operations starting on April 4 at Kajin port in Geum county, South Hamgyong province. The agency said the vehicle set out on a roughly 1,000-kilometer voyage and completed the journey in 71 hours and 6 minutes, surfacing into deeper test waters as part of the mission profile. On April 7, the test activity reportedly reached a zone in front of Ryongdae Port in Tancheon City, South Hamgyong Province, where the agency claimed the test warhead detonated underwater with precision.
State media described the exercise as a check of the reliable functioning of the strategic underwater weapon system and its capacity to deliver a decisive impact on potential targets. The reporting emphasized the system’s role in deterring perceived hostility from adversaries, reducing threats, and preserving North Korea’s security interests.
The reports also noted prior activity in late March, during which North Korea allegedly reinstated a crewless underwater nuclear delivery platform described as an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of underwater operation. Observers note that such statements from state channels are often part of a broader messaging strategy surrounding advances in military technology and deterrence.
Analysts and observers keep a close watch on official accounts of these tests, recognizing that the information originates from state-controlled sources and may reflect periods of heightened rhetoric about strategic capabilities. The broader international response continues to focus on regional stability, arms control considerations, and the implications for naval deterrence in the region. Attribution: North Korea’s KCNA and related state communications.