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North Korea Unveils AI-Guided 600mm Rocket Launchers in Pyongyang Ceremony

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Roman Kohanets
News Writer
north korea
Rows of 600mm multiple rocket launcher vehicles are lined up outside the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang during a presentation ceremony tied to the upcoming Workers’ Party congress. (Source: KCNA)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled the deployment of 50 new launch vehicles for 600mm multiple rocket launchers at a ceremony in Pyongyang ahead of the ruling Workers’ Party congress, according to CNN on February 19, 2026.

North Korea’s state-run KCNA said the launchers were presented by munitions industry workers as a “gift” to the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea and were lined up outside the April 25 House of Culture, where the congress is expected to be held.

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KCNA said Kim “personally drove a launcher vehicle to review the weaponry symbolic of absolute power lined in the plaza of the venue for the glorious Party Congress,” as he inspected the systems and met workers from the defense industry.

Kim said the 600mm rockets—double the size found in most multiple rocket launch systems—were comparable in performance to short-range ballistic missiles, and said their use of artificial intelligence in their guidance systems put them in a category of their own.

North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is shown driving a 600mm multiple rocket launcher vehicle during an inspection in Pyongyang, as depicted in state media footage. (Source: KCNA)

“No other nations have got this kind of weapon system,” Kim said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

KCNA also quoted him as saying the system’s precision and power made it suitable for fulfilling what it described as strategic missions, as North Korea prepares for the party congress that sets major policy and military direction.

The ceremony comes as North Korea has deepened its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, including the deployment of a North Korean military contingent to Russia, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said North Korean troops have been based in Russia’s Kursk region and have taken part in operations linked to recent attacks on Ukrainian border areas.

Earlier, it was reported that North Korea expanded automated missile production capacity while analysts linked the buildup to weapons transfers and battlefield use in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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