At the 77th Armed Forces Day parade held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam on the 1st, a variety of new weapons systems, including manned-unmanned complex systems and main weapons, were prominently featured. The military showcased around 40 types and over 100 units of weapon systems. Although this is a reduction compared to the 83 types and over 340 units mobilized last year, more futuristic advanced weapon systems, advocating a 'smart elite strong army,' were unveiled.

The highlight was undoubtedly the various weapon systems incorporating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). The 'Explosive Detection and Removal Robot,' the world's first integrated small robot capable of detecting and removing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mines, a collaborative-based autonomous exploration robot for detecting threats, and a multi-robot cooperative autonomous system capable of surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat missions were unveiled for the first time.

In addition to manned aircraft such as fighter jets, low-observable unmanned aerial vehicles capable of performing surveillance, reconnaissance, attack, and electronic warfare missions, small suicide drones for preemptive strikes against enemy threats, and multi-purpose stealth drones capable of covert infiltration, reconnaissance, and precision strikes based on AI autonomous mission capabilities were also unveiled for the first time.

Additionally, advanced manned-unmanned complex systems such as legged walking robots, rifle shooting drones, underwater autonomous mine search vehicles, unmanned reconnaissance vehicles, large unmanned submarines, combat unmanned surface vessels, small stealth drones, and small to medium-sized suicide drones were the main attractions of the event.

Furthermore, the military's currently operated 230mm multiple rocket launcher 'Cheonmu,' the domestically produced medium-range surface-to-air missile 'Cheongung-2' capable of intercepting both aircraft and ballistic missiles, the long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) capable of intercepting enemy missiles above an altitude of 40km, and the K9 self-propelled howitzer and K2 tank, which are representative of domestically produced premium weapons exported worldwide, were also showcased.

Strategic strike means possessed by the military, including the 'monster missile' Hyunmoo-5, which was first publicly unveiled during last year's Armed Forces Day parade, surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, and submarine-launched guided missiles, were also prominently featured. The Hyunmoo-5, with a warhead weight of 8 tons, is a 'bunker buster' bomb capable of destroying underground bunkers several tens of meters deep where enemy command is hidden and is a core means of the 'Korean 3-axis system' for massive punishment and retaliation (KMPR). The Hyunmoo-5, which began mass production last year, is known to have a maximum range of around 300km.

In the aerial display, domestic small armed helicopters (LAH), the Apache attack helicopter known as the 'tank killer,' the domestic utility helicopter 'Surion,' the Marine Corps amphibious assault helicopter 'Marineon,' and the advanced maritime patrol aircraft P-8 (Poseidon) adorned the skies above the event venue. Following this, key assets of the kill chain against North Korea, such as the F-35A stealth fighter, F-15K, and the domestic supersonic fighter KF-21 (Boramae), also participated in the aerial display.

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