WONSAN, NORTH KOREA — North Korea has released images showing its Saetbyol-9 attack drone launching a new air-launched tactical cruise missile during a live-fire demonstration overseen by leader Kim Jong Un on October 29. The test took place in the Wonsan-Kalma coastal area.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed the missile struck an island target with 100% accuracy, although the claim has not been independently verified. Images showed a black cruise missile with a pointed nose and a yellow band mounted beneath the drone’s wing, while another photograph captured a missile shortly after launch.
The Saetbyol-9 carried Korean People’s Army Ground Force markings and serial number 2101003, indicating its association with ground-force operations.
New Missile and Drone Capabilities
South Korean analysts from the Korea Defense and Security Forum identified the weapon as a tactical air-to-ground cruise missile with a nose-mounted seeker. This is the first publicly demonstrated launch of this type of missile from the Saetbyol-9. North Korea has not disclosed its name, range, warhead capacity or exact guidance system.
The missile appears larger than the munitions previously displayed on the drone. Its cruise configuration could provide greater range than rocket-powered weapons such as the Hellfire, potentially allowing the drone to launch attacks from farther away from enemy air defenses.
Exhibition and Military Drills
The test followed North Korea’s “Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Development-2026” exhibition, where Kim Jong Un called for “absolute superiority” in drone technology and highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence in unmanned systems.
The broader demonstration included tactical suicide drones, ground-launched cruise missiles and a battalion of 600 mm multiple rocket launchers, referred to as “Sniper” systems by state media. KCNA said the rocket launchers were publicly fired to verify their combat reliability. Images showed attacks on mock-ups of South Korean frontline guard posts, tanks and radar systems.
South Korea’s military separately reported detecting approximately 10 short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Wonsan region toward the East Sea on October 29. The missiles reportedly travelled around 250 km.
Saetbyol-9 Development and Production
The Saetbyol-9, meaning “Morning Star-9,” is a propeller-driven aircraft resembling the US MQ-9 Reaper, with a wingspan of approximately 20 metres (66 feet). It was first unveiled in July 2023 alongside the larger Saetbyol-4 reconnaissance drone, modelled on the US RQ-4 Global Hawk. Both aircraft were displayed at the October 2026 exhibition.
A North Korean video released in 2023 appeared to show the Saetbyol-9 firing missiles resembling the US Hellfire. In 2024, a US Army general said North Korea was equipping its drones with reverse-engineered Hellfire copies.
South Korean officials have previously questioned the drone’s combat effectiveness, saying in March that it appeared to imitate the Reaper’s external design without matching its capabilities. However, officials also reported observing modified versions.
In September, state media showed Kim touring production lines featuring aircraft resembling the Saetbyol-4 and Saetbyol-9, indicating North Korea’s intention to manufacture the drones in larger numbers.
The exhibition featured more than 30 types of unmanned systems, including strategic and tactical multipurpose drones, loitering munitions, suicide attack drones and first-person-view quadcopters. Kim attended the event alongside his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and daughter, Kim Ju-ae.
The missile’s actual range, accuracy and operational performance remain undisclosed.
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