North Korea has ordered weapons researchers to be stationed full-time with air force units in a push to speed up the development and deployment of AI-powered drones, Daily NK has learned.
The directive from the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea marks a significant shift in how the country develops military technology, moving researchers out of labs and into the field to work directly alongside air force personnel.
“An order from the party’s Central Military Commission was delivered to the party committee of the Academy of Defense Sciences and the Air Force Command on Sept. 27,” a high-ranking source in the North Korean military told Daily NK recently.
Under the order, researchers from the academy’s weapons research lab received one-year assignments at two air force squadrons and select airfields, beginning in September. Those researchers are studying key drone technologies in the field—including autonomous flight, target detection and evasive maneuvers, the source said.
Another military source told Daily NK: “This order marks a shift from the previous approach, where technicians from air force research labs and the Academy of Defense Sciences’ weapons research lab were sent to provide technical support as needed. Now, academy researchers will be stationed in the field full-time. They’ll share mess halls and barracks with air force researchers, carry out ongoing experiments and drills, and report their test results to the party monthly.”
Accelerating drone deployment
According to the sources, the reason for embedding academy staff with air force units is to speed up the timeline for putting drones into active service.
The order also calls for improving drone storage conditions and conducting low-level penetration training more regularly, suggesting North Korea is moving quickly to incorporate drones into its operational plans.
North Korea has currently developed several drone models, including the Saetbyol-4 strategic reconnaissance drone, the Saetbyol-9 multipurpose attack drone and the Kumsong tactical attack drone.
During a drone performance test on Sept. 18, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un emphasized the need to adopt AI technology and produce drones on a massive scale, signaling an effort to make drones central to the country’s asymmetric military strategy.
While sources in North Korea say the country’s drones aren’t yet fully operational, they agree the regime is focused on deploying them for active duty.
“Technical sophistication is less important than accumulating operational experience,” one source said.
The latest order highlights North Korea’s plan to rapidly turn AI-powered drones into a deployable force. It also shows that North Korea’s military strategy tends to prioritize speed of deployment over technical refinement.
North Korea’s rapid drone development efforts pose a serious threat to South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. Drones are emerging as a major security concern given their potential to neutralize or evade those three countries’ advanced defense systems.
Meanwhile, North Korea is using the order to boost morale, presenting the drone research as a symbol of the air force’s modernization.
“The order from the party’s Central Military Commission encouraged researchers not to fear failure but to use research and testing to upgrade technology and find more combat applications. The effect has been to create a more upbeat and positive atmosphere,” the source said.
