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North Korea has announced that it conducted a military exercise using live ammunition.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released the information.
According to the report, the exercise was held on Sept. 12 to test the operation of an integrated weapons control system. Artillery systems and unmanned aerial vehicles were used during the drill. Marshal Pak Jong Chon, who observed the firing, said the weapons systems used had demonstrated “enormous destructive power.” He said the exercise was aimed at improving preparedness to render the enemy’s armed forces ineffective in organizational and structural terms. The drill, which involved the simultaneous firing of various weapons, was assessed as being designed to enhance North Korea’s ability to overcome the air defense systems of the United States and South Korea.
North Korea’s exercise reportedly took place one day after the United States, South Korea and Japan concluded their “Freedom Edge” military exercise. A statement issued by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sept. 12 said North Korea had launched a number of short-range missiles toward the East Sea. The missiles traveled approximately 250 kilometers before falling into the sea.
