• North Korea claimed to have tested a "nuclear underwater attack drone"
• The weapons test occurred as the United States and South Korea concluded a series of military exercises
• North Korea launched multiple strategic cruise missiles from the region of South Hamgyong

North Korea has tested a new nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, state media said on Friday, as leader Kim Jong Un warned South Korea and the United States to cease their joint military exercises.

During the test, the new North Korean drone sailed underwater at 80 to 150 meters (260-500 feet) for more than 59 hours and exploded a non-nuclear payload in waters off its east coast on Thursday, according to KCNA.

North Korea's Underwater Nuclear Attack Drone

Experts assert that North Korea is demonstrating its expanding diversity of nuclear threats to Washington and Seoul, but they are skeptical that the submarine is ready for deployment.

Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated that North Korea intends to signal "to the United States and South Korea that the potential vectors of nuclear weapons delivery that the allies would have to worry about and target would be vast" in the event of war.

Per Reuters, the isolated nation launched a short-range missile from a subterranean silo on Monday, a deviation from its typical basing procedures.

The new drone technology, called "Haeil" or tsunami, is designed to launch surprise assaults in enemy seas and destroy naval strike units and important operating ports by generating a big radioactive wave through an undersea explosion.

An officer from the South Korean military stated they were analyzing North Korea's assertions. On the condition of anonymity, a US official stated that there was no evidence of a nuclear test.

Uncertainty exists about whether North Korea has fully perfected the miniaturized nuclear warheads required for its smaller weapons. Experts believe that if North Korea resumes nuclear testing, the refinement of such bombs will be a top priority.

According to ABC News, North Korea is thought to possess dozens of nuclear warheads and may be able to mount them on aging missile systems, such as Scuds and Rodongs.

Nevertheless, there are differing opinions on how far North Korea has progressed in constructing these warheads to fit atop the rapidly created new missiles, which may necessitate more technological improvements and nuclear tests.

South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-Sup told legislators that the North likely has not yet mastered the technology to equip its most powerful weapons despite noting the country's "substantial development."

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Expert Warns Against North Korea's Nuclear-Capable Drone

Professor Leif-Eric Easley of Ewha University in Seoul warned that Pyongyang's current claim to possess a nuclear-capable underwater drone should be treated cautiously.

On Wednesday, North Korea also conducted cruise missile tests, which were detected and reported by the South Korean military. In addition, it conducted another nuclear strike scenario using a short-range ballistic missile. Last week, it conducted a flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the continental United States.

This week, Pyongyang also claimed to have conducted tests of cruise missiles with the ability to deliver nuclear warheads. The US and South Korean militaries have conducted the largest war simulations in the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula in five years.

North Korea is simultaneously testing many types of missiles, including an intercontinental ballistic missile last week and cruise missiles on Wednesday. According to analysts, Pyongyang sends a message to the United States and its regional allies. Per CNN, recent short-range missile launches are an attempt to bolster the legitimacy, command, and control of self-declared tactical nuclear weapons units aimed at South Korea and Japan.

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