Zam-2.0: North Korea tests high-speed AI-guided torpedo; what we know

The Zam-2.0 is a North Korean torpedo designed to find targets and guide itself toward them underwater. It is described as high-speed and precision-guided. Its reported capabilities matter because they could strengthen North Korea’s naval forces and create a more difficult threat for South Korea and the United States.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said the torpedo was tested underwater on Thursday. The test focused on upgraded technology. Officials specifically cited improved propulsion efficiency and better performance from the torpedo’s rocket propulsion system. Artificial intelligence was also added to its target-detection and guidance systems.

North Korea called the test successful and said it could mark a significant advance in naval development. More than 180 related tests reportedly supported development over five years. However, the announcement gave no technical details about the AI or independent evidence confirming the weapon’s claimed performance.

Artificial intelligence in a torpedo’s detection and guidance systems is intended to help the weapon process information about nearby objects, identify a possible target, and adjust its course. That could let the torpedo operate with less direct control after launch. The article confirms the claimed use of AI but does not describe its design or performance.

In practical terms, sensors would gather information underwater, while onboard software could compare that information with patterns associated with a target. A guidance system could then change the torpedo’s direction as the target moves. These are general functions of automated guidance, not technical details confirmed for the Zam-2.0.

KCNA said AI had been incorporated into target detection and guidance. It did not explain how the technology functions. The reported test instead highlighted propulsion upgrades. Independent confirmation of the AI’s effectiveness was not provided in the article.

North Korea’s effort has lasted five years and involved more than 180 related tests. That figure refers to tests supporting the underlying technology behind the Zam-2.0. The scale suggests a sustained development program rather than a single weapons demonstration. It forms part of Pyongyang’s broader attempt to expand its naval capabilities.

The program includes both underwater weapons and larger surface ships. North Korea has commissioned two 5,000-tonne destroyers, the Choe Hyon and Kang Kon. It is also developing submarines capable of launching strategic weapons. These projects show development across torpedoes, destroyers, and submarine-based systems.

The article does not provide a total naval budget, fleet size, or exact number of submarines. It also says the timeline for completing a nuclear-powered submarine remains unclear. The reported test results therefore show continuing activity, but not the final operational strength of the navy.

Underwater torpedoes and submarine-launched missiles could challenge South Korea and the United States because they expand the possible directions and locations of an attack. They may also make it harder to identify the launch platform quickly. The article connects these developments with an intensifying arms race on the Korean Peninsula.

For example, North Korea tested the Zam-2.0 underwater and later reported launching two types of strategic cruise missiles from an underwater platform. Analysts said the submarine launches could indicate progress toward deploying the vessel. A submarine that can move underwater may complicate efforts to detect and track weapons before or after launch.

The threat remains partly uncertain. Outside experts have questioned the claimed capabilities of the Hero Kim Kun Ok submarine, and its operational status is unclear. North Korea is also developing a nuclear-powered submarine, but its completion timeline remains unknown.

Land-based weapons usually launch from fixed sites or identifiable areas. Submarine-launched weapons can begin from underwater, where the platform’s location may be less obvious. This can make surveillance more difficult and leave defenders less time to determine where a launch came from. The article links this problem directly to North Korea’s recent underwater tests.

North Korea reportedly launched two types of strategic cruise missiles from an underwater platform in eastern waters. South Korea’s military assessed that the missiles came from a submarine using different launch mechanisms. Analysts said such tests could indicate progress toward deploying the vessel, which would complicate efforts to detect and track launches.

The exact capability is not settled. The launches were likely conducted using the Hero Kim Kun Ok, according to The Washington Post, but outside experts have questioned the submarine’s capabilities. Its operational status remains uncertain, so the future level of difficulty cannot yet be measured.

North Korea is expanding its navy alongside its established ballistic-missile program to strengthen its military capabilities and war deterrent. The article places this effort within an intensifying arms race on the Korean Peninsula. Both North and South Korea are developing advanced systems intended to overcome missile defences.

The naval buildup includes the Zam-2.0 torpedo, two commissioned 5,000-tonne destroyers, and submarines capable of launching strategic weapons. North Korea also reported underwater launches of two strategic cruise-missile types. These systems give Pyongyang several ways to demonstrate or develop weapons beyond its existing land-based missile program.

Leader Kim Jong Un has prioritised naval strengthening, according to the article. North Korea says the underwater tests demonstrated the reliability of its war deterrent. It is also pursuing a nuclear-powered submarine, unveiled under construction in March 2025, though the completion timeline remains unclear.

A torpedo needs three basic systems to work underwater. Propulsion pushes it through the water. Sensors gather information about surrounding objects. Guidance and steering controls then adjust its course toward a selected target. The article identifies these broad functions in the Zam-2.0 but does not provide a detailed technical design.

The Zam-2.0 reportedly uses an improved propulsion system, including a rocket propulsion system. Its target-detection system is described as AI-equipped. In general, underwater sensors can supply information about a target’s position or movement, while onboard controls can turn steering surfaces or alter thrust to change direction. These mechanisms are general technology, not details confirmed by North Korea.

North Korea said the latest test verified improved propulsion efficiency and guidance technology. More than 180 related tests supported development over five years. However, KCNA did not explain the AI’s operation, sensor types, steering method, speed, or range.