North Korea holds military drills with missiles and drones

North Korea held live-fire military exercises on Saturday, September 12, to test the combat readiness of its artillery and missile units, Reuters reported, citing North Korean state media.

Units and weapons involved

Five army units took part in the drills, testing several types of weapons, including strike drones, tactical cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles, and large-caliber multiple rocket launchers. North Korea stated that the exercises were meant to boost troop morale and improve their ability to "completely destroy the enemy" on command.

What preceded the drills

The day before the exercises, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea had launched several short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea off its eastern coast. That launch came a day after the conclusion of the five-day trilateral Freedom Edge exercises involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan, which focused on countering threats from North Korea.

Earlier reports indicated that North Korea had built a new uranium enrichment facility at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, capable of housing up to 28 centrifuge cascades, and had also begun operating an expanded annex at its enrichment facility in Kangson.