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Recent combat footage from Ukraine reveals a growing vulnerability in North Korea’s multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) as they face attacks from small, agile drones. Ukrainian forces have been actively sharing videos showing how their drones are successfully targeting and destroying North Korean artillery sent to support Russian troops exposing a critical weakness in Pyongyang’s rocket launcher designs amid the rise of drone warfare.
Drones Target North Korean Artillery on the Frontline
Ukrainian units, including the 429th "Achilles" Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment, have uploaded striking videos showing first-person-view (FPV) drones attacking North Korean rocket launchers such as the 107mm Type-75 and the longer-range M1991 systems.
One clip captures an FPV drone maneuvering behind a Type-75 launcher, which is loaded with several rockets in its 12-barrel configuration. The drone strikes one of the exposed missiles, causing a devastating explosion. Footage from a separate reconnaissance drone shows the rocket system detonating, confirming the damage inflicted.
The Type-75 launcher, based on the Chinese Type-63 design, has been spotted frequently on Russian frontlines and training sites. It’s a lightweight, towed 12-tube system with exposed rockets, which makes it highly susceptible to drone strikes.
Multiple Instances of Drone Successes
On July 12, Ukraine’s National Guard published a video showing a drone dropping a munition on another Type-75 launcher, destroying it. Similarly, a drone strike heavily damaged a North Korean M1991 MLRS last month, causing one of its rockets to prematurely launch and damage the vehicle.
The 413 Unmanned Systems Battalion shared footage where the drone’s attack on the M1991 caused a rocket to ignite and pierce the driver’s cabin of the truck, forcing two soldiers to evacuate rapidly.
North Korea’s Military Equipment in the Ukraine War
North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with hundreds of artillery pieces, including the M1991 and Type-75 rocket systems, howitzers, and more advanced launchers like the KN-09 MLRS. Most of this equipment is derived from older Soviet or Chinese designs, making it familiar to Russian forces but also inheriting their limitations.
For example, Cold War-era systems like the BM-21 Grad require manual loading and feature exposed rockets, which are vulnerable to modern drone attacks.
Contrast with Modern Western Rocket Systems
In contrast, Western rocket launchers such as the U.S. M142 HIMARS use containerized and enclosed munitions. This design offers better protection against small explosions and drone attacks, highlighting a technological gap between older Soviet-style systems and newer Western hardware.
North Korea has unveiled newer rocket launcher models in recent military parades that seem to provide more protection, mainly through larger tube designs. However, these changes are mostly incremental.
The Future of Drone Warfare and Legacy Systems
With most of Pyongyang’s artillery arsenal believed to consist of older legacy systems, their vulnerability to drone attacks is likely to continue. As drone warfare becomes an increasingly decisive factor on modern battlefields, exposed rocket launchers like the Type-75 and M1991 face a growing disadvantage.
This trend underscores the importance of modernizing artillery systems to include better defensive measures, such as enclosed launch tubes and electronic counter-drone technologies, to survive in conflicts dominated by unmanned aerial threats.
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