North Korea unveiled a copy of the U.S. HIMARS rocket launcher during a major military parade in Pyongyang on October 11, 2025. The system’s close resemblance to the American platform has raised concern over Pyongyang’s expanding ability to replicate Western artillery mobility and precision.
North Korea displayed what appears to be a near copy of the U.S. Army’s HIMARS rocket launcher during a nighttime parade in Pyongyang marking the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party on October 11, 2025. The wheeled multiple launch rocket system, first seen rolling through Kim Il Sung Square, shares the same six-wheel configuration and modular pod structure as the American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. This draws swift analysis from Western defense observers who view it as a direct challenge to U.S. technological dominance.
The vehicle, paraded alongside traditional tracked systems and legacy artillery platforms, featured a 6×6 wheeled chassis with a rear-mounted launcher pod configured to carry a mix of munitions. High-resolution imagery reviewed by Army Recognition’s analysts indicates the system uses a modular launcher capable of firing 122 mm and 240 mm unguided rockets, calibers already common in North Korea’s arsenal. It also appears to accommodate a larger diameter missile resembling a compact variant of the Hwasong-11 short-range ballistic missile.
Analysts suggest this missile could be a tactical adaptation of the KN-23 or Hwasong-11 series, featuring a reduced size potentially optimized for mobile precision strikes. Integrating such a missile into a wheeled launcher format represents a notable shift in North Korea’s doctrine. It signals a growing emphasis on speed, flexibility, and survivability, features long associated with Western-style rocket artillery systems.
Photographic evidence examined by Army Recognition shows that the launcher goes beyond superficial resemblance. Its pod layout, armored cab, and firing orientation are reminiscent of the Lockheed Martin-designed HIMARS system. However, this North Korean version appears to lack advanced digital fire control, satellite navigation, or automated reload systems. Even so, the deliberate replication sends a strong strategic message, projecting technical ambition and domestic self-reliance while attempting to mirror the capabilities of U.S. forces.
This development fits within North Korea’s long-standing practice of reverse-engineering foreign weapon systems. From Soviet SCUD missiles to cruise missile designs similar to those in Russian service, Pyongyang has routinely blended indigenous innovation with foreign templates. The new MLRS suggests a calculated move to modernize artillery doctrine, which already leans heavily on volume firepower, with over 13,000 rocket and tube artillery pieces stationed within range of Seoul.
South Korean military officials, speaking anonymously to Army Recognition, confirmed that intelligence agencies had been tracking a HIMARS-style project for over a year. Satellite surveillance identified test activity at a site near Hamhung, and recent missile exercises in the region may have included components of this new platform. The October 11, 2025, parade served as the first public unveiling, providing rare visual confirmation of the program’s progress.
While details about the new system’s fire control software, mobility profile, or missile accuracy remain limited, the appearance of a HIMARS-style vehicle underscores North Korea’s ongoing efforts to field more agile and survivable strike platforms. In contrast to traditional tracked launchers or fixed-position artillery, a wheeled MLRS provides quicker repositioning and reduced vulnerability to counter-battery fire.
Strategically, the deployment of such a system could pose additional challenges to combined U.S.-South Korean defense planning, especially if paired with improved precision-guided munitions in the future. Moreover, the system’s modularity may make it attractive to foreign buyers operating outside formal arms markets, raising proliferation concerns.
For now, the system remains a symbol of ambition rather than confirmed capability. Pyongyang’s ability to mass-produce solid-fuel rockets, develop satellite-based targeting, and sustain digital fire control networks will ultimately determine whether this platform becomes a credible battlefield asset or remains a parade-only prototype. What is certain is that North Korea is investing in systems that align closer with modern artillery tactics and technologies than ever before.
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