North Korea, Jan 28 : North Korea test fired an upgraded large caliber multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS) on Tuesday, with leader Kim Jong-un present to oversee the launch, state media reported. The test aimed to evaluate the system’s effectiveness and demonstrated improvements in mobility, targeting accuracy, and strike capability.
Kim described the MRLS as featuring a “self steered precisely guided flight system” and said the test was of “great significance in improving the effectiveness of our strategic deterrent.” He emphasized that the exercise was intended solely to strengthen North Korea’s deterrent against nuclear threats.
The launch coincides with preparations for North Korea’s first ruling party congress in five years, where Kim is expected to outline the country’s five-year plans for defense, the economy, and other sectors. Analysts note that the MRLS test, which hit a target 358.5 kilometers away, may indicate advances in navigation systems potentially resistant to GPS jamming, and could suggest tactical nuclear capability.
Photos released by state media showed Kim’s daughter, Ju-ae, accompanying him at the test site, along with senior military officials. The test also follows recent short range ballistic missile launches detected by South Korea, and comes amid heightened regional security discussions involving U.S. and South Korean defense officials.
With a maximum range of 400 km, North Korea’s upgraded MRLS can target all major military bases in South Korea, highlighting its strategic significance in the peninsula’s ongoing security dynamics.