The U.S. think tank revealed on the 1st (local time) that it has detected signs that North Korea is expanding facilities such as strategic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hangars and has established units to conduct various tests related to drones.
According to a report published by Beyond Parallel, a North Korea-focused media outlet of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), based on satellite images taken on the 28th of last month of Banghyon Airfield (located in Kusong City, North Pyongan Province), which North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un visited last week to observe a test flight of a variant of the Saetbyeol-4 class strategic UAV, this was revealed.
Satellite image of Banghyeon Airfield, Pyonganbuk-do, North Korea, taken on March 28, 2025. CSIS Beyond Parallel·Planet 2025
Joseph Bermudez, senior researcher at CSIS, and Jennifer Jun, who authored the report, stated that the satellite images showed seven UAV hangars, each 40 meters wide, completed, which had begun construction around July to August last year.
The researchers estimated that the seven newly constructed hangars are sized to accommodate North Korea’s Saetbyeol-4 and Saetbyeol-9 class strategic UAVs and similar models, suggesting that a unit composed of 8 to 16 strategic UAVs for experimental and test flights has been established. They added that the images indicate ongoing production of strategic UAVs within North Korea. However, the scale of strategic UAV production North Korea is considering remains unknown.
Banghyon Airfield is the only confirmed large-scale strategic UAV production and flight test site in North Korea. Additionally, there are undisclosed factories located in the Pyongyang and Pyongsong areas.
Meanwhile, based on photos of the reconnaissance drones observed by Kim Jong-un, the researchers stated, "Although claims that North Korea has been copying American drones such as the RQ-4B Global Hawk or MQ-9A Reaper have been widespread, North Korean UAVs are not replicas but merely imitate the external shape of American drones," adding, "Currently, it has been confirmed that they do not carry advanced equipment seen on U.S. drones."
They further noted, "If North Korea successfully deploys the Saetbyeol-4 class strategic reconnaissance UAVs within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), the scope and speed of situational awareness capabilities on the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas are expected to significantly improve."
Earlier, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Jong-un guided defense science research projects of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology Union and the Electronic Warfare Detection Research Group on the 25th and 26th of last month. During the event, Kim observed the test flight of a Saetbyeol-4 class variant.
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