North Korea is intensifying its efforts in military drone development by equipping its unmanned systems with reverse-engineered copies of American Hellfire missiles. This information, shared by Brigadier General Patrick Costello during the 2024 United States Army Association conference, has raised significant concerns in the U.S., particularly regarding the growing threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
According to General Costello, North Korea’s newly revealed drones not only resemble U.S. models like the MQ-9 Reaper and the RQ-4 Global Hawk, but they are also equipped with missiles modeled after the AGM-114 Hellfire, a guided air-to-surface missile used on U.S. drones. Costello noted that Pyongyang has focused on developing drones that weigh approximately 600 kilograms or less, fitting into the categories of small to medium-sized drones with multirole capabilities.
These statements follow North Korea’s display of two drones in July 2023, which garnered attention due to their striking resemblance to U.S. models. While the exact capabilities of these drones and their missiles remain unclear, the U.S. military now believes they were developed with some knowledge of American technologies. Videos released by North Korean state media showed one of the drones firing missiles closely resembling the Hellfire, further drawing comparisons in the West.
This development comes as the U.S. military braces for the growing threat posed by drones, a phenomenon that has intensified in recent conflicts, particularly in Ukraine. General Costello emphasized that the technological transfers and relationships observed in ongoing conflicts, particularly between North Korea and Russia, warrant close monitoring. Russia, which is engaged in the war in Ukraine, could benefit from North Korea’s new capabilities to bolster its military arsenal.
General David Stewart, Director of the Joint Counter-UAS Office, also noted that drone threats have now become an integral part of modern military environments, regardless of the conflict zone. In response, the U.S. Department of Defense has requested a budget of $2.4 billion for unmanned aerial systems in the 2025 fiscal year. Various branches of the U.S. military are also seeking additional funding to develop counter-drone technologies, with an unfunded request for $741 million in this fiscal year alone.