North Korea says it tested AI-guided torpedo system
SEOUL: North Korea said on Saturday that it had tested a “new-type” precision-guided torpedo that uses artificial intelligence for target detection and guidance, in the latest sign of an accelerating weapons programme.
The Korean Central News Agency said the underwater test of the “super-speed” Zam-2.0 torpedo system took place on Thursday, “to confirm the successful technical updating” of the weapon.
The North Korea AI torpedo test is the latest in a string of demonstrations this month. Pyongyang said earlier that it had test-fired two types of cruise missiles from a submarine, after weeks of friction with Seoul over a landmine explosion along their border.
North Korea AI torpedo test: what state media claimed
According to KCNA, AI technology was applied to the target detection and the guidance function of the torpedo. The agency said the test proved “the core technology for raising the efficiency of propulsion and the performance of rocket propulsion devices”.
KCNA added that more than 180 related tests had been carried out over five years, and said senior officials judged the test a success that would bring “significant” change to the navy’s capabilities, the agency said.
North Korea released no images of the test, and did not explain what it meant by artificial intelligence or how the system works underwater.
Why analysts are sceptical
Independent experts urged caution. South Korea’s military, which often accuses the North of exaggerating its weapons technology, did not immediately comment on the report, according to the Associated Press.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, told AFP that AI could in theory help a torpedo tell real targets apart from decoys. South Korea and the United States deploy decoy targets to divert incoming torpedoes, he said, and smarter guidance could defeat them.
However, Yang Moo-jin, former head of the University of North Korean Studies, said cutting underwater noise at high speed was a hurdle North Korea had probably not cleared. Some analysts doubt the country’s weapons carry truly advanced digital systems such as autonomous target designation.
One theory is that the Zam-2.0 is a “supercavitating” torpedo. Such a weapon creates a bubble of gas around its nose to cut water resistance, letting it travel far faster than a conventional torpedo.
A wider naval push
The test fits a clear pattern. Kim Jong Un has shifted attention to naval power after years of ballistic missile development, the AP reported. On Wednesday, the North launched what were believed to be its first submarine-fired missiles in nearly three years, probably from a new boat designed to carry nuclear weapons.
Earlier this month, Pyongyang claimed an AI-assisted hypersonic missile was impossible to avoid. Kim Yo Jong, the leader’s sister, said the missiles tested on October 3 also used AI.
The North has also commissioned two new 5,000-ton destroyers, the Choe Hyon and the Kang Kon, for its western and eastern fleets. In September, Kim stressed the need to raise “the level of artificial intelligence” across weapons systems.
Analysts say Russia may be helping. Western officials believe Moscow has shared military technology in return for North Korean troops sent to support its war in Ukraine.
The timing may also be political. There is speculation that Donald Trump could meet Kim on the sidelines of November’s APEC summit in China, after the US president said this week he “may” meet the North Korean leader during his Asia tour.
What happens next
South Korea and the United States will study the KCNA claim for evidence the test happened at all. Past North Korean announcements have sometimes outrun reality, and independent verification is unlikely soon.
Maritime flashpoints are multiplying elsewhere too. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a supertanker exploded after hitting a mine in the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has barred Iran from maritime trade in a pressure campaign on oil revenue. The original report on this development was published by Dawn, with further analysis on Channel News Asia.
FAQ
What did North Korea claim about the AI torpedo test?
State media said the “super-speed” Zam-2.0 torpedo was tested underwater on Thursday with AI guiding target detection, claiming 180+ related tests over five years.
Is the North Korea AI torpedo test verified?
No independent verification exists. South Korea’s military did not immediately comment, and analysts say Pyongyang often exaggerates its weapons technology.
Why does the test matter for South Korea?
Seoul and Washington use decoys to divert torpedoes. AI guidance could in theory tell warships from decoys, though the technical barriers are high.
