North Korea revealed a new wheeled multiple launch rocket system strikingly similar to the U.S. Army’s HIMARS during a military parade in Pyongyang on October 11, 2025. The system’s appearance signals Pyongyang’s growing interest in replicating Western-style mobile precision artillery platforms.
The launcher, unveiled during the 80th anniversary celebration of the ruling Workers’ Party, featured a 6×6 wheeled chassis with modular rocket pods mounted at the rear. Imagery reviewed by defense analysts suggests the system can fire 122 mm and 240 mm unguided rockets and possibly a larger short-range missile resembling a compact variant of the Hwasong-11 or KN-23.
Experts noted that the system’s overall design — from pod configuration to armored cab layout — mirrors the Lockheed Martin–built HIMARS. However, unlike its U.S. counterpart, the North Korean version likely lacks digital fire control, GPS guidance, and automated reloading. Even so, the replication is seen as a calculated message of self-reliance and technological ambition.
For decades, North Korea has followed a pattern of reverse-engineering foreign weapon systems. Its latest launcher indicates a doctrinal shift toward greater speed, survivability, and precision in artillery warfare — traits long associated with Western forces.
South Korean defense officials confirmed that intelligence agencies had been monitoring a “HIMARS-style” project for over a year, with satellite imagery revealing test activity near Hamhung. The October parade marks the system’s first confirmed public appearance.
While questions remain about its operational reliability, the HIMARS-style launcher highlights North Korea’s determination to modernize its strike forces and field more mobile, responsive firepower. Should it become operational, the system could complicate U.S.–South Korean defense planning and introduce new dynamics into regional deterrence.
For now, the launcher stands as a symbolic statement — proof that Pyongyang seeks to match modern artillery trends and project an image of technological parity, even if its real battlefield capabilities remain uncertain.
