North Korea Demonstrates First Cruise Missile with Cluster Warhead in Landmark Test Launch

North Korea’s Missile Administration conducted a test on November 2 to assess the destructive power of a cluster warhead designed for a strategic cruise missile, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on November 3. The test evaluated a medium-sized dispersal warhead, which local sources reported could devastate a target area measuring between five and six hectares when its submunitions achieve their highest concentration. The test follows a separate evaluation of a cluster warhead for tactical ballistic missiles conducted on October 31, indicating continued efforts to expand the range of conventional warheads available to North Korean missile forces. 

Cluster warheads disperse multiple smaller explosive submunitions across a wider area than a conventional unitary warhead, making them potentially effective against concentrations of personnel, vehicles, aircraft and other equipment. Their area effects can pose a particular threat to military installations, including airfields, logistics facilities and assembly areas, where equipment and personnel may be concentrated in relatively exposed locations. Unexploded submunitions can also pose a continuing danger after an attack. According to KCNA, the Warhead Institute under the Missile Administration confirmed that the cruise missile warhead could turn the designated area “into ashes” through its “highest-density power.” The Cruise Missile System Institute also reportedly improved the missile’s ability to conduct vertical strikes by refining its terminal manoeuvrability, taking into account the natural and geographical characteristics of the target area. The report did not identify the specific cruise missile used in the test or provide independent evidence confirming the claimed destructive performance.

The latest test follows North Korea’s October 31 evaluation of a “Standard Type 2” cluster-bomb warhead intended for KN-23 and KN-30 tactical ballistic missiles. KCNA claimed that this warhead could devastate an area of 12 to 13 hectares—more than twice the area cited for the cruise missile warhead. A Missile Administration official also stated that North Korea categorises its cluster warheads into four types and intends to enable military units to select and use them according to their operational requirements and target characteristics by the end of 2026. The implications of these weapons tests for the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula are significant, particularly as the Korean People’s Army relies very heavily on its missile forces to counter the conventional advantages of hostile U.S. and South Korean forces.