A newly discovered North Korean drone facility is raising alarms among military analysts, with experts warning that Pyongyang may be rapidly advancing its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities—potentially with Russian assistance.
According to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), North Korea appears to have established a new unit dedicated to the development and testing of strategic drones, Korea Joongang Daily reported.
This comes amid rising concerns that Pyongyang is seeking to bolster its weak air surveillance network and counter the aerial dominance of South Korea and the United States.
The think tank's North Korea-focused platform, Beyond Parallel, revealed on Tuesday that "seven new drone hangars, each 40 meters wide, are believed to have been built since July or August of last year at the Banghyon Air Base in Kusong City, North Pyongan Province."
Recent satellite imagery of the airbase taken last Friday showed a cluster of red-roofed hangars—an unmistakable sign of increased UAV activity.
"Banghyon Air Base is the home of North Korea's largest unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)," the Beyond Parallel report confirmed. "North Korea appears to have created a unit operating eight to 16 aircraft for small-scale experiments and test flights of Saetbyeol-4, Saetbyeol-9, and similar-grade large reconnaissance UAVs."
The report noted that, until 2023, smaller UAVs fell under the jurisdiction of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, while strategic UAVs were controlled by the Korean People's Army. However, the latest intelligence suggests that a new, as-yet-unnamed organization may now oversee the entire drone program.
The Banghyon Air Base is no ordinary facility. It was here that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally observed test flights of an airborne early warning and control aircraft, as well as suicide and reconnaissance drones, during his March 25-26 visit.
Drone manufacturing is reportedly taking place at two locations: the June 1 Factory near Banghyon Air Base and an undisclosed facility between Pyongyang and Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province.
North Korean state media recently unveiled an upgraded version of the Saetbyeol-4 drone, a high-altitude UAV that bears a striking resemblance to the U.S. Global Hawk. However, Beyond Parallel concluded that "as of now, it is assessed that it simply copied the external appearance of the aircraft and was not equipped with advanced equipment similar to that of the U.S."
This aligns with assessments from South Korean military officials, who have dismissed Pyongyang's latest UAV as more of a showpiece than a functional weapon.
The Beyond Parallel report further noted similarities between the Saetbyeol-4 and China's high-altitude reconnaissance UAV, the WZ-7. However, analysts warn that if North Korea successfully develops a working version and deploys it near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) or inside South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), it could significantly enhance Pyongyang's situational awareness of the region.
Ultimately, experts believe this move is designed to counter South Korea's Kill Chain and Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) phases of the three-axis defense system by strengthening North Korea's unmanned surveillance capabilities.
Recent reports also suggest that North Korea is not acting alone. Intelligence sources have confirmed that North Korean troops learned advanced drone warfare tactics from Russia during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
In a stunning revelation, a high-ranking Russian commander from the Ukrainian front lines was recently spotted among Moscow's diplomatic delegation to Pyongyang.
However, HNGN cannot independently verify the claims.
