North Korea says it has tested a cluster-bomb warhead for tactical ballistic missiles and plans to make four types of the weapon available to its military units by the end of the year, state media reported on Sunday.
The test was carried out on Saturday by the country’s Missile Administration to assess the combat adaptability and power of a cluster-bomb warhead to be mounted on tactical ballistic missiles, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Research institutes under the Missile Administration said the test confirmed that the Standard Type 2 cluster-bomb warhead is capable of turning into ashes a target area of 12 to 13 hectares with its highest-density power, KCNA said. That claim is Pyongyang’s own assessment and has not been independently verified.
Four categories planned by year-end
The general director of the Missile Administration was quoted as saying the cluster-bomb warheads are classified into four categories depending on their purposes, including special and standard types. “Within this year we will enable units to select and use all those types according to operational aims and specific features of targets,” the official said, according to KCNA.
The Missile Administration described the test as part of regular scientific research aimed at boosting the power of its combat systems. Technical specifications of the four categories were not disclosed.
Kim Jong Un did not attend
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not attend Saturday’s test, which was overseen by Gen. Kim Jong Sik, a senior official involved in the country’s munitions programme, Japan Times reported. That contrasts with a similar test in April, when Kim watched a cluster-bomb warhead test with his daughter Ju-ae.
South Korea’s military said it had been monitoring the launch, adding that the missile was fired toward the Yellow Sea from an area around the northwestern county of Chongju. Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Seoul-based Korea Defense and Security Forum, said the missile appeared to be the Hwasong-11 Ra — an expert assessment, not a confirmed identification.
What is known and what is not
Confirmed by multiple outlets reporting KCNA: a test took place on October 31, it involved a cluster-bomb warhead for tactical ballistic missiles, and Pyongyang says four types will be available to units by the end of the year. Not confirmed: the exact missile type used, the technical details of each warhead category, and whether the 12- to 13-hectare destruction claim was independently observed.
The test is the latest in a series of North Korean weapons trials, following the short-range ballistic missile launches toward the East Sea on October 29 covered previously on this site, and comes amid heightened regional tensions.
Related coverage: North Korea Fires Short-Range Ballistic Missiles Toward East Sea on October 29 and Submarine Arms Race: North Korea Tests AI-Guided Torpedo.
Frequently asked questions
What did North Korea test? According to KCNA, a Standard Type 2 cluster-bomb warhead for tactical ballistic missiles, tested on October 31 and reported on November 1, 2026.
What does North Korea claim the warhead can do? Pyongyang claims it can destroy a target area of 12 to 13 hectares at its highest density. That claim has not been independently verified.
When will the warheads be deployed? KCNA quoted the Missile Administration as saying all four types will be available for military units to select and use within this year.
Sources
- Yonhap News Agency — N. Korea tests cluster bomb mountable on tactical ballistic missiles (November 1, 2026)
- Reuters — North Korea says defence research institutes tested major weapon system (October 31, 2026)
- Japan Times — North Korea fires off cluster bomb warheads in latest ‘major’ weapons test (November 1, 2026)
- Tribune Pakistan — North Korea tests tactical ballistic missile cluster warhead (November 1, 2026)
- ANews — North Korea tests cluster-bomb warheads: KCNA (November 1, 2026)
