Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, visited Pyongyang Training Base No. 60 under the Capital City Defence Corps of the Korean People's Army on March 19 to oversee a coordinated offensive tactical drill of infantry and tank sub-units.

He was greeted on the spot by No Kwang Chol, minister of National Defence of the DPRK, Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff, Kim Song Gi, director of the KPA General Political Bureau, Kim Jong Sik, first deputy department director of the WPK Central Committee, and major commanding officers of the KPA.

The tactical drill was aimed at making the tactical sub-units, which expand successes in their attack through an assault by tanks and infantry after striking, raiding and occupying the enemy's anti-armour defence line, get familiar with the coordination order and combat methods during offensive action.

Involved in the drill were a company of the cavalry regiment, the main armoured unit belonging to the reserve operational group of the General Staff, and special operations sub-units.

When the tactical drill was launched, various kinds of attack drones struck the enemy's commanding base and anti-armour firing positions on the basis of real-time reconnaissance data.

Anti-tank missiles of an armoured car sub-unit hit targets in a salvo with the tactical fire support against the unexpectedly-emerging armoured defence means of the enemy.

The rear strike sub-units destroyed the enemy drones and armed helicopters from their ambush position and then raided and occupied the enemy's anti-armour defence line and firing positions to provide the tanks and infantry with the conditions for attack.

There took place a demonstration charge by the tank company of the cavalry regiment equipped with the new-type main battle tanks.

Through the drill, its aim was attained to confirm the tankmen's capabilities for an actual battle and each sub-unit's combat cooperation and action methods according to different tactical missions.

Kim Jong Un said that he came to clearly recognize that the principle of intensifying practical trainings under the simulated conditions of an actual war has been strictly adhered to recently in the training of tactical units, too, as he saw all sub-units in the drill share real-time information and ensure cooperation in combat and unity of action under various unexpected and extremely difficult combat situations to break through the enemy's strong anti-armour defence line by means of powerful strike, speedy raid and occupation and high mobility.

Watching with great pleasure the tanks violently make a charge, rocking the earth, he expressed satisfaction that the majestic appearance of the tanks imposingly advancing forward encapsulates the inherent bravery and pluck of the KPA.

Saying that the new-type main battle tank, which made its appearance to demonstrate the amazing combat performance again, is really superior, he noted this is unequalled in the world in the striking power and mobility and, especially, self-defensive capacity. Our army will be equipped with the most powerful tanks, he said with pride.

That day, there were various tests for examining the active self-defensive system of the new-type main battle tank.

The tanks intercepted 100 percent anti-tank missiles and drones attacking them from different positions and directions to clearly prove the efficiency of its superior active self-defensive system.

Acquainting himself again with its combat performance after the tactical drill was over, Kim Jong Un said:

"We have attained great successes and progress in modernizing the tank-building industry.

“This new-type main battle tank, a proud fruit of the strategic plan the Party Central Committee worked out and has resolutely pressed ahead with for the second revolution in the armoured forces, encapsulates our-style technology of armoured weapon system.

“The development of the tank's core technology, to which we directed special efforts, has taken seven years.

“The Party Central Committee, through the role of its guidance team, and the Academy of Defence Science, through its correct specialist guidance, have opened a brighter prospect for the tank-building industry.

“The armour structure and power system designs, integrated automatic remote-controlled strike system, electronic warfare complex, guided missile and active self-defensive system have remarkably improved. All the components of this tank are completely suitable for ensuring its powerful striking capability, improving its survivability and providing convenience for the service by its crew.

“In developing this tank, we have attached special importance to improving the rate of its survival.

“Applied to this tank are various special technologies developed for improving its survival rate, and it is equipped with a mobile self-defensive complex capable of reliably destroying such attacking air targets as different kinds of anti-tank guided missiles and UAVs at a high level of precision through a system of detecting threats from all directions. Therefore, I am sure that no armoured weapon with as strong self-defensive capability as that of this tank exists in the world.

“In particular, it is a great change that our armoured forces that were ineffective during night operations have completely overcome their combat limitations.

“The combat performance of our main battle tank is incomparably superior.

“From now on, our ground forces will be equipped with these superior tanks extensively, and our armoured forces developed onto a higher stage."

He stressed, in particular, that it is important to pay careful attention to the issue of steadily improving the main battle tank's performance so that it can hold a leading position and make good use of its combat value in the battlefields in conformity with the trend of ever-developing modern warfare.

Highly appreciating that all the drills have recently been turned to taking and adopting scientific and practical forms and methods for an actual war, he said that the KPA units at all levels should achieve rapid successes in completing war preparations by giving full play to the soaring spirit without letup.

As I have repeatedly stressed, the KPA should organize and carry out training in the atmosphere of actual war and training competitions aimed at improving the combat efficiency, more intensively and more frequently, so that it can swiftly and exactly perform any combat missions under different situations in contingency, he said. He called for taking a revolutionary measure to further intensify the training revolution.

Commanding officers of the KPA and the combatants involved in the tactical drill pledged to achieve proud successes in perfecting combat preparations and unsparingly dedicate their sweat and efforts to increasing the combat power and thus remain loyal to Kim Jong Un who left his immortal and sacred imprints in the training ground to bestow great honour upon them and inspire them with a high spirit and boosted the militant will and matchless bravery of the KPA.