North Korean clones of US drones show Kim’s ambitions, Aquilino says – By Colin Demarest (Defense News) / March 20, 2024
North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles that closely resemble sophisticated American drones are a sign the despotic regime is seeking to modernize its military beyond attention-grabbing missiles, according to a U.S. military leader.
Pyongyang last year unveiled combat and intelligence-gathering UAVs that appear strikingly similar to a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper and a larger Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk. Images of them surfaced following an arms exhibit in the capital city attended by the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, and visiting Russian defense chief Sergei Shoigu.
Navy Adm. John Aquilino, leader of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific, on March 20 told Congress that North Korea is focused on developing “technology and weapons” that advance its nuclear and nonnuclear capabilities. The admiral’s remit at Indo-Pacific Command includes North Korea and nearby China — two premier national-security hazards.
