North Korea has tested a new “underwater nuclear strategic weapon,” claiming the platform can produce a “radioactive tsunami.” Pyongyang claimed it has been forced to strengthen its “war deterrence” amid a flurry of military drills by Washington and Seoul.
A series of tests were carried out between Tuesday and Thursday this week by the North Korean military and were overseen by supreme leader Kim Jong-un, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The trials were intended to confirm the “lethal strike capability” of the new “secret weapon,” which has been dubbed “Tsunami.”
“The mission of the underwater nuclear strategic weapon is to stealthily submerge into the operational area... and annihilate enemy ship groups and major ports of operation by generating a super-powerful radioactive tsunami through underwater explosions,” the outlet said, adding “This nuclear unmanned underwater attack craft can be put into operation by towing to any coast or port or surface vessel.”
With development starting in 2021, the system has reportedly undergone some 50 rounds of tests behind the scenes over the last two years, and was created to “check the military and technological superiority of the imperialist aggressor army,” KCNA added, referring to the United States.
Pyongyang said it faced a “dangerous” security situation due to a near-constant stream of US-led military drills with South Korea, which the DPRK has repeatedly denounced as rehearsals for an invasion. It added that Washington’s hostile stance made it “imperative for us to prioritize the quantitative strengthening of the nuclear force,” stressing the need for a “stronger war deterrence.”
North Korea has carried out scores of weapons tests in recent months – including several intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches – as a demonstration to the US and its regional allies. While American officials have denounced such tests as provocative and damaging to stability in the Asia-Pacific, the DPRK has insisted on its right to advance its military capabilities, and says its nuclear arsenal is for defensive purposes only.
Despite ominous warnings from Washington regarding the DPRK’s weapons, however, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that there is “no indication” that an “actual strike by North Korea is imminent,” suggesting Pyongyang poses no immediate threat to the US or its partners.