What happened at the latest parade (Feb 25 2026)?
North Korea held a large military parade in Pyongyang to wrap up the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party. It featured about 14,000 troops and aerial flyovers.

No nuclear missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, SLBMs, or strategic ballistic weapons were taken through the parade route — contrary to many past parades.
Instead, the emphasis was on boots on the ground, marchers, aircraft (likely trainers/transport), and ceremonial elements rather than high-end strategic weapons.
Weapons and equipment around the event
While the latest parade itself did not feature major strategic missiles, North Korea’s broader weapons developments include systems that have been displayed at past parades or tests:

Missile systems (reported from recent or past displays):

Hwasong-20 ICBM – a new intercontinental ballistic missile first rolled out publicly at an earlier parade in October 2025, touted as a major nuclear strategic weapon system.
Hwasong-18 – a solid-fuel ICBM that represents a notable advance in North Korea’s strategic strike capability.
Hwasal-1 cruise missile – a land-attack cruise missile capable of low flight paths to evade defenses.
Short-range and hypersonic ballistic missiles (like the Hwasong-11Ma in tests) have also featured in other recent displays.
Other weapons linked to parade contexts:

New-generation sniper rifles were given ceremonially to North Korean officials — and shown in photos around the party congress and parade period.
Reports around the event emphasized military announcements about nuclear expansion, drones, and advanced weapons development, even if they weren’t rolled through the square.
Why no big missiles this time?
Analysts and reporting suggest this recent parade was scaled back in terms of hardware display — possibly for political messaging focused on loyalty and the party congress, rather than a show of strategic weapons.