North Korea's New Drone 'Jjaktung Reaper'... "Could Aid Early Warning"

by Hwang Yoonju

Published 05 Aug.2023 16:29(KST)

New drone recently unveiled by North Korea [Image source=UPI Yonhap News]

According to 38 North, a U.S. media outlet specializing in North Korea, the new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) unveiled by North Korea last month appear to be at least useful for early warning of unusual enemy activities, the outlet reported on the 4th (local time).

On the 26th of last month, North Korea revealed the new UAVs "Saetbyeol-4" and "Saetbyeol-9" for the first time at the "Armed Equipment Exhibition-2023," attended by State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The names and shapes of these UAVs closely resemble the U.S. high-altitude reconnaissance drone "RQ-4 Global Hawk" and the unmanned attack drone "MQ-9 Reaper," respectively.

In the case of the Saetbyeol-9, four units were spotted on the 27th, the following day, being transported on vehicles during the 70th anniversary military parade of "Victory Day" (the day the Korean War armistice was signed) held in Pyongyang.

38 North pointed out that although the appearance of these UAVs may look like advanced U.S. drones, their actual performance level is uncertain. There has been no disclosure regarding the quality of the components that determine the UAVs' real capabilities.

According to 38 North, many external experts agree that the Saetbyeol-4 and Saetbyeol-9 are unlikely to be as advanced as the RQ-4 Global Hawk or MQ-9 Reaper. However, 38 North analyzed that through these UAVs, North Korea could enhance its intelligence-gathering capabilities and early warning systems for external military activities.

The outlet observed that the Saetbyeol-4 is equipped with a high-altitude platform necessary for reconnaissance sensors, including synthetic aperture radar (SAR), enabling it to observe maritime areas hundreds of kilometers away from North Korean airspace as well as inside South Korea, and to relay the collected information to the ground.

It is expected that North Korea could use this to more clearly identify normal external military activities and improve its ability to detect early signs of abnormal activities such as preparations for attacks or preemptive strikes.

However, 38 North also noted that both the Saetbyeol-4 and Saetbyeol-9 are extremely vulnerable to South Korean and U.S. fighter jets and air defense systems, suggesting that these UAVs would be more useful during peacetime rather than in wartime.