Kim oversees upgraded 240mm rocket launcher and special warheads on Korean War anniversary
North Korea announced tests of four upgraded weapons on June 25, the 76th anniversary of the 1950 war's outbreak: a 90km-range multiple rocket launcher with autonomous guidance, special warheads to destroy South Korean power grids and airports, extended-range howitzer shells, and tactical cruise missiles
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Summary
North Korea's state media KCNA announced June 26 that Kim Jong UN personally oversaw tests of four upgraded weapons systems on June 25, the 76th anniversary of the 1950 Korean War outbreak. The systems tested: an upgraded 240mm 24-tube multiple rocket launcher with autonomous precision guidance and a 90-kilometre range, placing Seoul within reach; "special-mission" warheads for tactical ballistic missiles that KCNA described as capable of inflicting "fatal damage" on South Korean airfields, ports and power-grid infrastructure; 65km extended-range shells for a 155mm self-propelled howitzer; and tactical cruise missiles. Seoul's military confirmed detecting approximately 10 rounds from the rocket launchers and began analysis. The test sequence extends the pattern tracked in earlier 2026 tests: simultaneous advances across long-range, medium-range, artillery and cruise tiers, timed to the Korean War anniversary as deliberate strategic messaging.
Why it matters
The June 25 anniversary date was not incidental. The 240mm MLRS's 90km range and autonomous guidance addresses the same battlefield gap that US HIMARS has shaped in Ukraine: a precision long-range system that can range Seoul's population density and critical infrastructure with reduced counter-battery exposure. The special-mission warheads targeting power stations and airports describe an infrastructure-paralysis strike sequence intended to degrade South Korea's military and economic response before US reinforcement can arrive. Taken together, the four systems announced June 25 form a coherent anti-South Korea strike package advancing on schedule regardless of US attention elsewhere.
What to watch
- Full KCNA technical release confirming the 90km range and guidance-system specifications with telemetry data.
- Whether South Korea accelerates counter-battery radar deployments or requests additional US interceptor batteries.
- Any US-South Korea joint exercise response or adjustment to Korean Peninsula Force Protection posture.
- Whether Kim Jong UN issues an operational deployment directive for any of the tested systems.