North Korea announced Saturday that it had conducted a new test on a "unmanned" nuclear submarine, in the latest response to the US-South Korean maneuvers, using technology that still raises questions about Pyongyang's possession of it.
"The DPRK's National Defense Science Research Institute conducted a test of an underwater strategic weapon system between April 4 and 7," the official North Korean news agency revealed. It added that the Hale-2 nuclear-powered submarine conducted "simulations under water, during which it covered a distance of 1,000 kilometers."
North Korea announced on March 23 the first test of this submarine, which, it said, is capable of "causing a large-scale radioactive tsunami" through an underwater explosion.
The agency indicated that the weapon "detonated accurately under water," pointing out that this test "proves the reliability of the underwater strategic weapons system and its lethal offensive ability."
This is the third test of this system announced by North Korea, after two previous tests, the first on March 23 and the second announced on the 28th of the month.
Russia also announced the development of a similar weapon, the nuclear-capable Poseidon torpedo, but experts believe that North Korea does not yet possess the high-tech technology required for this type of weapon.
Okaz (Seoul)