That red thing flying next to the F-16 is an MQM-107D Streaker, a target drone that was developed in the 1970s for the US Army. The North Koreans have bought several of them from Syria, and they are now using them to build unmanned attack drones loaded with high explosives.
Yes. American drones from the ’70s loaded with explosives. Bought from Syria. By the North Koreans. It sounds like the plot for a Chevy Chase movie, but it’s real, according to a defence Tech source:
North Korea recently bought several US MQM-107D Streakers from a Middle Eastern nation that appears to be Syria, and is developing unmanned attack aircraft based on them.
Isn’t international arm trading wonderful? The high speed turbojet powered drone was used by the United States Army and the United States Air Force for testing and training their people in targeting practice. Once used, it could be recovered with the help of parachutes, reloaded with fuel and launched again. The North Koreans don’t want to reuse these. Once they retrofit them with explosives, they will deploy them over their South border and have them ready to launch against South Korean troops.
I know that ’70s technology may seem pretty outdated — and it is, compared to current drone technology — but consider that the F-16 on the image flew for the first time on the ’70s too. To me, anything that can fly at high velocity loaded with explosives on the hands of a bunch of psychotic military people is never good news. [Defense Tech]