(LEAD) N. Korea conducts underwater test of new precision-guided torpedo using AI : KCNA

North Korea claimed it had tested a new underwater weapon called the Zam-2.0 super-speed precision-guided torpedo system. The test took place on Thursday, according to the Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA. The announcement came on Saturday, October 17.

The stated purpose was to confirm that the torpedo had received a successful technical upgrade. North Korea said the weapon used artificial intelligence for target detection and guidance. It also said the test examined propulsion efficiency and rocket-propulsion devices.

National defense officials described the result as a great success that could mark a significant change in naval development. The report did not provide the torpedo's range, speed, payload, or test location. It did say more than 180 related tests had been conducted during the previous five years, showing a sustained development effort.

A precision-guided torpedo is an underwater weapon designed to detect or track a target and adjust its path during an attack. A conventional torpedo may travel along a preset course or use simpler steering instructions. It has less ability to correct its route after launch.

The key difference is guidance. Sensors can help a guided torpedo estimate a target's direction and movement, while onboard controls change the torpedo's steering surfaces or propulsion. The article says North Korea applied artificial intelligence to target detection and guidance in the Zam-2.0 system.

That design could improve the chance of reaching a moving vessel, but the article provides no independent assessment of its performance. It also gives no details about the sensors, range, speed, or warhead. Therefore, the claimed advantage is greater accuracy and adaptability, not a confirmed operational result.

North Korea said it had conducted more than 180 related tests for the torpedo system over the past five years. The figure was included in KCNA's account of the Zam-2.0 test. It indicates repeated work on the weapon's technology.

The reported tests covered core areas linked to performance. KCNA said the latest test confirmed technology for improving propulsion efficiency and the performance of rocket-propulsion devices. The report does not clarify whether all 180-plus tests involved complete torpedoes, individual components, or closely related systems.

The number shows that North Korea presents the weapon as part of an extended naval-development effort. However, it does not prove how reliable, accurate, or ready the system is in combat. The article gives no independent verification, test results, or operational deployment details. The most certain conclusion is that Pyongyang claims sustained testing over five years.

North Korea says artificial intelligence is used in two main parts of the Zam-2.0 system: detecting targets and guiding the torpedo. In simple terms, the claimed AI role is to help identify a target and support decisions about the torpedo's direction.

A guided underwater weapon generally combines sensors, onboard computing, and steering controls. Sensors collect information about a target and its surroundings. Software processes that information, while the control system changes the torpedo's course. The article does not identify the sensors or explain the AI method used.

This could matter because underwater targets move, and the torpedo must respond during its journey. Still, the report only states that AI technology was applied; it does not provide performance measurements or outside confirmation. North Korea also said the test examined propulsion efficiency and rocket-propulsion devices, so guidance was one part of a broader technical upgrade.

Speed and accuracy matter because naval targets can move, turn, or change formation. A torpedo that reaches a target quickly and corrects its course may give defenders less time to react. Better performance could therefore make a navy's underwater attack capability more threatening.

The Zam-2.0 was described as a super-speed, precision-guided torpedo. North Korea said AI supports target detection and guidance, while the test examined propulsion efficiency and rocket-propulsion devices. These features connect the weapon's speed, sensing, and steering claims.

The article reports that national defense officials viewed the result as a great success and a possible significant change in naval development. It does not establish the torpedo's actual speed, accuracy, range, or combat readiness. The forward implication is a claimed strengthening of naval capabilities, alongside recent missile launches and new destroyers, but the system's real-world effectiveness remains unverified.

A torpedo is an underwater weapon intended to hit a vessel directly, usually from beneath or alongside the target. A strategic cruise missile is a long-range guided weapon that travels through the air toward a designated target. A destroyer is a warship that carries weapons and sensors and can perform several naval missions.

The article places these systems in separate events. North Korea said it tested the underwater Zam-2.0 torpedo on Thursday. On Wednesday, it launched two types of strategic cruise missiles from what was presumed to be a 3,000-ton submarine. It also recently commissioned the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon and Kang Kon destroyers.

Together, these developments show activity across different naval capabilities. The torpedo concerns underwater attacks, the cruise missiles provide a separate strike function, and destroyers are platforms rather than single weapons. The article does not explain the missions or operational readiness of the ships and missiles.

Underwater weapons generally detect targets with acoustic sensors, especially sonar, because sound travels well through water. They can listen for a vessel's noise or send sound pulses and analyze returning echoes. The weapon's computer estimates the target's direction, distance, and movement from those signals.

After launch, the torpedo uses guidance software and control surfaces or changes in propulsion to steer. It may update its course as new sensor information arrives. Inertial systems can help track movement without GPS, while GPS signals generally cannot guide a weapon continuously underwater. Radar is also limited because radio waves do not travel well through seawater.

The article does not explain how the Zam-2.0 detects or tracks targets. It only says North Korea applied AI to target detection and guidance. The stated AI role could therefore support sensor interpretation and course corrections, but the system's actual method and performance remain undisclosed.