Pyongyang, May 27 (KCNA) — The Missile Administration and the Academy of Defence Sciences of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conducted tests of newly-developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system, as a part of the plan for modernizing the artillery and missile armed forces to attain the five-year goal for national defence development, on May 26.

Comrade Kim Jong Un oversaw the tests.

The relevant tests analyzed and estimated the power of special mission warhead of tactical ballistic missile, the reliability of 240mm controlled artillery rocket with expanded firing range which employed an ultra-precision autonomous navigation system, and the AI-guided hit accuracy of tactical cruise missile.

Highly appreciating the test results, Comrade Kim Jong Un expressed great satisfaction over the fact that important ultra-high defence science and technologies were introduced into the practical weapon tests.

He made a positive assessment of the military worth of the tactical cruise missile to be deployed at the long-range artillery brigades in the southern border area in particular.

The tactical cruising shell, which has a combination of the ultra-precision autonomous navigation system and the TERCOM (terrain contour matching) navigation system and employed an AI terminal guidance function, is a powerful weapon system that can strike in an ultra-precision way any target 100 kilometers away by multimode flight based on gliding and propelling.

Comrade Kim Jong Un said that today’s tests of major weapon systems are a clear signal of upgrading of our military force and an event of showing great technical progress in the strengthening of our army’s combat power.

What is noteworthy is that the firing control system and automation system of all the launching vehicles have been finally updated to suit the proper conditions of modern warfare so as to enhance their application to combat, he said, adding that thanks to such successful development of the most powerful tactical-level weapon systems, our army’s firepower systems came to be fully put on an automatic, long-range and ultra-precision basis.

Noting that the present situation is accelerating the steady upgrading of military capabilities, he affirmed that the validity of the development direction of the artillery and missile forces modernization plan, decided and assigned by the Party Congress, and its prospect are certain, scientific and successful as they are based on the already-made high-level defence technical achievements.

It is our top-priority policy direction for the building of armed forces to build the most modern and powerful artillery force which no one can match, he said, adding: It is essential condition for our army’s operations to have such destructive power as enough to make any encountering force impossible to survive theoretically, apart from fortune. Such capability will give extreme uneasiness and fear to the enemy, and it will be a major link and a responsible exercise for deterring war.

Saying that it is the main task facing our armed forces and defence science sector to defend the security of sovereignty and guarantee the development of socialism with powerful war deterrence, Comrade Kim Jong Un assigned important tasks arising in stepping up the steady growth of the national defence capability and the work to put the military hardware on an ultra-modern basis.

The line of our Party and government to steadily accelerate the strengthening of the nuclear force and conventional armed force remains unchanged, he said, adding that our plan to defend the military sovereignty and exercise the right to self-defence in a responsible manner will be expressed in a clearer action.

Present to observe the tests were Marshal Pak Jong Chon, advisor to the Ministry of National Defence, Full General Jo Chun Ryong, secretary of the C.C., WPK, Full General Kim Jong Sik, first department director of the C.C., WPK, Full General Jang Chang Ha, general director of the Missile Administration, Lieut. General Kim Yong Hwan, president of the Academy of Defence Sciences, Lieut. General Kim Kang Il, director of the General Armaments Bureau of the Ministry of National Defence, Maj. General Yu Chang Son, director of the Artillery Bureau of the General Staff, and Senior Colonel Kim Myong Son, director of the Armaments Examination Bureau of the Ministry of National Defence.