North Korea’s Central Military Commission has ordered certain squadrons in its East Sea Fleet to operate nuclear-armed underwater drones on a trial basis in preparation for full-scale deployment. The measure appears aligned with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s emphasis on equipping the navy with nuclear weapons.
A source with the North Korean military told Daily NK recently that the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea had ordered the equipment general bureau of the defense ministry, the equipment department and sea lanes bureau of the Naval Command, and the East Sea Fleet command and several of its squadrons to prepare bringing the nuclear-capable underwater attack drone called Haeil (meaning “tsunami”) into service.
Since Aug. 27, a laboratory for underwater weapons systems at the Academy of National Defense Science has been collaborating with naval units to initiate trial drone operations in the field—the step before putting the drones on active duty.
The current work includes selecting and training staff for the trial program, surveying sea lanes, choosing operational areas and upgrading equipment and charging facilities.
Three-stage deployment plan
The program stages being discussed internally are: (1) operating a small number of drones on a trial basis, (2) assessing their performance and making improvements, and (3) increasing the size of formations. However, the timeframe for those stages and progress goals remain unclear.
“The Haeil—that’s the craft they want to deploy with certain squadrons in the East Sea Fleet—is a large torpedo-type drone that’s about 13 meters long and 1.5 meters in diameter,” the source said.
“It’s considered an underwater weapon system capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. But its technical combat specifications, as well as whether it will actually be nuclear-armed, will need to be reviewed during trial operations.”
North Korea has conducted several tests of the Haeil since 2023, describing the drone as a weapon capable of secretly approaching enemy vessels or ports and destroying them with the “radioactive tsunami” produced by an underwater explosion. However, it remains uncertain whether the drones are actually powerful enough to produce the “super-scale radioactive tsunami” described by Pyongyang.
What is clear is that Haeil is designed as a strategic weapon aimed at fixed targets such as ship anchorages and port facilities. This contrasts with the miniaturized underwater drones operated by the United States and South Korea for tactical missions such as reconnaissance, mine clearance and anti-submarine operations.
Strategic messaging and technical challenges
Since North Korea has recently been highlighting military and defense achievements to compensate for regime insecurity, the orders regarding Haeil’s trial deployment may ultimately represent a strategic attempt to showcase North Korea’s nuclear capabilities abroad and strengthen the regime domestically.
Amid these developments, North Korean technical experts reportedly acknowledge that while the orders for the trial program reflect the importance of preparing the drones for active service, further assessment and improvement are needed before the drones can be deployed to the front lines or operated independently.
Even the North Korean leadership reportedly recognizes that Haeil continues to face challenges including securing operational stability and managing safety issues and environmental risks.
“While it’s uncertain how effective Haeil would be in actual combat, the authorities regard it as both a strategic ‘ace in the hole’ and a means of infiltrating enemy strongholds to exact nuclear retribution,” the source said.
“There’s a general feeling in the military that simply acquiring a weapon that can detonate underwater in key locations represents a show of naval force, which has raised hopes and boosted confidence.”
