North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally led combat exercises of the Air Force squadrons of the 15st Guards Air Force Division of the Korean People's Army (KPA) on May 2025, 1, calling on the army to be in a state of full readiness for war. This was reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), emphasizing that the exercises were aimed at improving air defense skills and modernizing the armed forces in the event of potential hostilities. Kim Jong-un said that the outcome of the war is determined on the field of military exercises, and demanded a "radical change" in the training of military personnel so that they can "enter the war at any time."

The exercises, held at one of the DPRK military airfields, included practicing air attack, air defense, and countering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to KCNA, fighters from air squadrons, anti-aircraft missile forces, and electronic warfare (EW) units successfully completed tasks to detect and destroy drones simulating enemy targets. In addition, tests were conducted on new long-range and gliding guided bombs, which, according to North Korean media, are capable of hitting targets with high accuracy at significant distances. Kim Jong-un praised the results, noting the need to further increase the army's combat capabilities.

The drills were part of a major program to modernize the DPRK's armed forces, which Kim Jong-un has emphasized in recent years. According to Reuters, the North Korean leader is actively promoting the development of new weapons, including hypersonic missiles, underwater kamikaze drones, and nuclear torpedoes. Earlier, on May 12, 2025, Kim Jong-un attended UAV tests conducted by the Drone Research Institute of the National Defense Academy, where targets simulating South Korean K-2 tanks were hit. South Korean experts cited by Western media noted the similarity of these drones to the Russian Lancet-3 UAV, which sparked speculation about possible military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.