North Korea says it tested AI-guided 'super-speed' torpedo, capping a week of weapons launches

North Korea said on Saturday 17 October that it had carried out an underwater test of a new “super-speed” precision-guided torpedo system, called the Zam-2.0, Yonhap reported, citing the state Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

KCNA said the test took place on Thursday and that artificial intelligence was used for the torpedo’s target detection and guidance. It said defence officials judged the test “a great success foreseeing a significant change” in the navy’s development, and that more than 180 related tests had been carried out over five years. It gave no technical details.

The test followed several launches this week. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the East Sea on 12 October, and South Korea’s presidential office urged Pyongyang to stop what it called illegal launches, according to Yonhap. On 14 October, North Korea fired two types of strategic cruise missiles from what South Korean media described as a 3,000-tonne submarine.

Background

North Korea is under UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. This week it again vowed there would be no bargaining over its nuclear weapons, Yonhap reported. It has also been expanding its navy and recently commissioned two 5,000-tonne destroyers. The US and Japan reaffirmed their goal of North Korea’s complete denuclearisation in talks on 13 October. US President Donald Trump said that week he “may” meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an upcoming Asia trip, Yonhap reported.