North Korea's Kim inspects upgraded indigenous tank factory

Seoul, May 4 (IANS) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a tank factory and expressed satisfaction over the upgraded structural design of indigenous tanks, while emphasising the need to modernise the military with advanced tanks, the North's state media reported on Sunday.

Kim inspected the factory's production status, modernisation and progress in implementing research tasks related to core tank technology, Yonhap reported, quoting Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

It did not disclose the name or location of the factory or the date of his visit, describing it only as an "important" tank factory.

"To replace the armoured weapons of the last century in our army with the latest tanks and armoured vehicles is the most important issue in the building of armed forces and modernisation of the army," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying during the field guidance.

"It is impossible to build the armoured force properly" unless the military role and developmental direction of tanks in modern warfare are correctly defined and the viewpoint in tank design is reconsidered, Kim said as he presented the direction of tank modernisation and related tasks.

He also emphasised the need to build large-scale capacity for producing cutting-edge tanks and self-propelled guns and to upgrade the overall armoured weapon systems in a short span of time, describing it as an important task for the governing party in bringing about "the second revolution in armoured force."

The KCNA reported that Kim expressed "satisfaction" with the upgraded structural design of indigenous tanks and the composition of their firepower system, saying that they demonstrated scientific accuracy and reliability for a high-thrust engine.

Kim noted that a "more development-oriented prospect" has opened up in the tank industry, and the party's policy of "further perfecting" core technologies for the main battle tank is being pursued through steady development and production success, according to the KCNA.

Last week, North Korea confirmed for the first time that it sent troops to Russia to support Moscow's war on Ukraine, with South Korea's spy agency assessing that Pyongyang has gained real-world combat skills over the deployment.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said North Korea appears to be focused on modernising its conventional weapons.

"The war in Ukraine has shown that nuclear weapons are primarily for deterrence and are difficult to use in practice, while conventional weapons such as artillery and missiles, along with advanced weapons like drones, determine the success or failure of modern warfare," Yang said.

--IANS

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