North Korea plans new torpedo system for its navy by 2027

North Korea's navy will start fielding a new torpedo weapon system in 2027, according to the Korean Central News Agency, which announced the timeline on Monday. The state outlet said Pyongyang also carried out a test launch in the East Sea as part of the program.

KCNA framed the firing as routine science, calling it part of the mandatory activities of defense science research institutes working on the technological advancement of weapon systems. No details on the torpedo's range, warhead or platform were given.

The test follows last month's launch of the Cham-2.0, a submarine-launched torpedo fitted with AI technology, which North Korea also publicized through state media. Monday's announcement extends a run of weapons unveilings from Pyongyang, including a cluster warhead test in early November that the Missile General Bureau said could devastate a wide target area, per KCNA.

Pyongyang has paired those military rollouts with defiance on the diplomatic front. Its Foreign Ministry told KCNA in late October that international sanctions would never push the country to give up its nuclear status, calling the measures doomed to go bankrupt.