North Korea is planning a sharp increase in the production rate of its Bulsae-4 anti-tank guided missile systems, a move directly ordered by Kim Jong Un during his visit to a dedicated ATGM manufacturing plant earlier this year. According to North Korean sources, the country's defense industry has been tasked not only with resolving existing production shortcomings but also with boosting output by roughly two and a half times.
Photographs circulating online provide rare visual insight into the Bulsae-4 production line, showing missiles already loaded into transport-launch containers as well as units at various stages of assembly. These images suggest that the program has moved beyond limited or experimental manufacturing and is now transitioning toward sustained serial production.
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As noted by KCNA Watch, the production expansion is linked to Pyongyang's plans to intensively equip North Korean ground forces with Bulsae-4 systems in the first half of this year. Kim Jong Un reportedly emphasized that guided weapon systems could, in the long term, even replace multiple launch rocket systems, a statement that underscores the regime's focus on precision-guided munitions over traditional area-effect firepower.
At the same time, several open sources claim that Bulsae-4 system has undergone modernization based on battlefield experience gained during its alleged use against Ukrainian forces. These claims also point to possible russian technical assistance in refining the system, which, if confirmed, would further illustrate the deepening military-industrial cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Such reports are closely tied to expectations of continued and potentially increased deliveries of Bulsae-4 systems to russia. If North Korea succeeds in significantly scaling up production, it would logically enable larger export volumes, reinforcing russia's access to additional guided anti-armor capabilities amid sustained losses and production constraints of its own defense industry.
The first reports of the Bulsae-4 system's use in combat surfaced in the summer of 2024 but were later officially denied. However, by August of the same year, the system was documented in the hands of North Korean personnel fighting alongside russian forces against Ukraine, lending greater credibility to claims of its operational deployment.
Technically, Bulsae-4 system stands out due to its claimed non-line-of-sight (NLOS) engagement capability, allowing it to strike targets beyond direct visual contact. Its widely cited effective range is around 10 km, placing it well above most conventional ATGMs in terms of reach.
North Korean sources have asserted a maximum range of up to 25 km, though this figure is widely assessed as exaggerated. Even so, the combination of extended range, NLOS functionality, and growing production capacity makes Bulsae-4 system a noteworthy element in both North Korea's force modernization and its expanding role as a weapons supplier to russia.
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