N.Korea reports testing nuclear-capable subsea drone

North Korea on March 24 claimed it had tested an underwater drone capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could create a “radioactive tsunami” – however, analysts urged scepticism.

A report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the drone, called the “Unmanned Underwater Nuclear Attack Craft ‘Haeil,’” was tested from March 21 to 23, cruising in waters off the country’s east coast for more than 59 hours before its test warhead was detonated on March 23 afternoon, reports CNN.

“The mission of the underwater nuclear strategic weapon is to stealthily infiltrate into operational waters and make a super-scale radioactive tsunami through underwater explosion to destroy naval striker groups and major operational ports of the enemy,” the KCNA report said.

The KCNA report said the weapon has been in development since 2012 and has undergone more than 50 tests in the past two years.

This week’s test “verified its reliability and safety and fully confirmed its lethal strike capability,” the KCNA report said, adding the drone can be deployed from any port or towed by a surface ship to begin its operations.

Analysts poured doubt on North Korea’s claims.

“Pyongyang’s latest claim to have a nuclear-capable underwater drone should be met with scepticism” because North Korea offered no proof, said Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Writing on social media, Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said: “I tend to take North Korea seriously, but can’t rule out the possibility that this is an attempt at deception/psyop.”

“Would be ill-advised to allocate limited fizmat (fissile material) for a warhead to go in this thing, IMO, vs. more road-mobile ballistic missiles,” Panda added.

The idea of an unmanned submersible carrying a nuclear warhead is not unique to North Korea.

Russia claims to have developed the Poseidon torpedo, a submarine-launched, nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear munitions. Its nuclear propulsion system would give the Poseidon virtually limitless range.

But Russia has offered no proof of a successful test of the Poseidon and analysts suspect it could be years from deployment.

North Korea’s purported new underwater weapon has important differences from the Poseidon.

It is conventionally powered and is not launched from a sub, meaning it would not be on par with the Russian torpedo, the analysts said.