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North Korea Develops Drones Equipped with Reverse-Engineered American Hellfire Missiles.
North Korea is intensifying its efforts in military drone development by equipping its unmanned systems with reverse-engineered copies of American Hellfire missiles. This information, shared by Brigadier General Patrick Costello during the 2024 United States Army Association conference, has raised significant concerns in the U.S., particularly regarding the growing threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft over the Nevada Test and Training Range and fires an Air-to-Ground Missile-114 Hellfire missile on August 30, 2023 (Picture source: US DoD)
According to General Costello, North Korea's newly revealed drones not only resemble U.S. models like the MQ-9 Reaper and the RQ-4 Global Hawk, but they are also equipped with missiles modeled after the AGM-114 Hellfire, a guided air-to-surface missile used on U.S. drones. Costello noted that Pyongyang has focused on developing drones that weigh approximately 600 kilograms or less, fitting into the categories of small to medium-sized drones with multirole capabilities.
These statements follow North Korea's display of two drones in July 2023, which garnered attention due to their striking resemblance to U.S. models. While the exact capabilities of these drones and their missiles remain unclear, the U.S. military now believes they were developed with some knowledge of American technologies. Videos released by North Korean state media showed one of the drones firing missiles closely resembling the Hellfire, further drawing comparisons in the West.
This development comes as the U.S. military braces for the growing threat posed by drones, a phenomenon that has intensified in recent conflicts, particularly in Ukraine. General Costello emphasized that the technological transfers and relationships observed in ongoing conflicts, particularly between North Korea and Russia, warrant close monitoring. Russia, which is engaged in the war in Ukraine, could benefit from North Korea’s new capabilities to bolster its military arsenal.
General David Stewart, Director of the Joint Counter-UAS Office, also noted that drone threats have now become an integral part of modern military environments, regardless of the conflict zone. In response, the U.S. Department of Defense has requested a budget of $2.4 billion for unmanned aerial systems in the 2025 fiscal year. Various branches of the U.S. military are also seeking additional funding to develop counter-drone technologies, with an unfunded request for $741 million in this fiscal year alone.
North Korean clones of American MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4B Global Hawk UAVs, inspected by North Korea's Kim Jong-un (Top) and the RQ-4 Global Hawk (Bottom) (Picture source: KNCA/ Northrop Grumman)
In this context, the defense industry is seeing the emergence of new players. Companies like Anduril, led by Palmer Luckey, have signed multibillion-dollar contracts with U.S. Special Operations Command to provide counter-drone technologies. Recently, the Pentagon awarded the company another $250 million contract for 500 reusable drones and associated jamming technologies.
North Korea’s advances in military drones, combined with its progress in missile reverse-engineering, present significant challenges for the U.S. and its allies. Although these North Korean drones are less sophisticated than their American counterparts, they still pose a serious threat in conflict scenarios, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. As the U.S. continues to strengthen its drone defense capabilities, it is becoming evident that mastery of this technology by nations like North Korea could redefine the nature of modern conflicts.
U.S. intelligence services recently confirmed the extent of North Korean reverse-engineering during the October 2024 U.S. Army Association conference. At the event, **Business Insider** revealed that North Korea had modeled its Saetbyol-4 and Saetbyol-9 drones after the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk. These North Korean drones were first observed during a July 2023 military parade, where one was filmed launching missiles similar to the Hellfire. While it remains unclear how Pyongyang acquired these technologies, U.S. officials suspect espionage or the recovery of parts from conflict zones.
This situation is especially concerning as North Korea could potentially share these weapons with Russia, aiding Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. Recent reports also suggest that North Korean arms were used in the October 7, 2024, attacks by Hamas, further amplifying concerns that these American drone copies could fall into hostile hands.
In addition to drone development, North Korea successfully tested a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on January 14, 2024, equipped with a hypersonic warhead. This advancement in ballistic missiles represents a major strategic threat to the U.S., as these missiles are capable of reaching targets such as Guam and are more difficult to intercept due to their rapid launch capability and hypersonic speed.
These military advancements are occurring amidst increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has recently taken political steps, such as calling for a constitutional amendment to challenge the status of South Korea as a separate state. Although North Korea asserts it is not seeking war, it also indicates it will not avoid one if necessary. These developments suggest that Pyongyang’s growing military capabilities could further destabilize an already fragile regional situation.