North Korean soldiers carry 'fake weapons' during military parades, US military expert claims

A former US intelligence officer has claimed that North Korea’s soldiers carry fake weapons during huge parades through the capital of Pyongyang.

Michael Pregent, a leading Conservative think-tank member, was asked to look at photos from an April 15 parade to celebrate the 105th birthday of the country’s founder, Kim Il-Sung.

But while the parade saw soldiers marching through the hermit state’s capital city with a huge array of weapons, Pregent has now claimed that it’s likely that they were fake – and a transparent attempt to show North Korean military strength to the Western world.

He told Fox News: ‘This was more about sending a message than being combat effective.’

Specifically, Pregent singled out a photo of North Korean troops wearing sunglasses as they paraded through the capitals.

Far from being a display of military organisation, Pregent instead claims that the glasses are regular flat-faced frames, as opposed to the ‘ballistic safety glasses’ that are usually favoured by military units.

He also slammed the weapons as ‘laughable’ – and expressed doubts over the capabilities of North Korea’s ammunitions production.

MORE: UK ‘could bomb Syria without MPs’ approval’
MORE: Paedophile snared by vigilante is jailed for trying to meet girl, 14, with sex toys

The claims come only a day after China launched a new aircraft carrier, amid rising international tensions over North Korea.

The 500,000 tonne aircraft carrier, which began construction in 2015, is expected to be fully commissioned for use before 2020 after extensive trials.