
North Korea's soldiers mostly carry fake weapons during their mass-scale parades, a former US intelligence officer has said.

Michael Pregent believes many of the arms flaunted by menacing-looking North Korean troops during their displays are dummies, and claims even their sunglasses wouldn't be fit for combat.

Pregent was asked to look at photographs from an April 15 military parade in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

Images from an April 15 military parade in Pyongyang show what appear to be North Korean 'commandos' carrying AK-47 assault rifles with attached grenade-launchers. But they are really 'helical' magazines designed to store bullets in a spiral shape

'Child army will blow up South Korea' Young supporters of Kim Jong Il are preparing to 'wipe out' the US and South Korea with five million nuclear bombs. The head of the republic's youth league said youths were 'keeping themselves fully combat ready to mercilessly wipe out with five million nuclear bombs the group of devils who are trying to bring a nuclear disaster to the inviolable country' The Central Committee of the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League warned 'the Earth will break' if it launches an attack Advertisement

He suggested many of the guns were not real, and hinted many may have even been given toys, in a move designed to boast their strength to the world.

'This was more about sending a message than being combat effective,' Pregent told Fox News, who now serves as an adjunct fellow at the conservative think-tank, the Hudson Institute.

The parade was held to mark the 105th birthday of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of the country's current ruler, Kim Jong-Un.

Images from the parade show what appear to be North Korean 'commandos' carrying AK-47 assault rifles with attached grenade-launchers.

But Pregent says that the objects seen affixed to the rifles are really 'helical' magazines designed to store bullets in a spiral shape.

Pregent says these magazines are often faulty since they frequently jam.

He also doubts that the AK-47s are even loaded since North Korea is believed to have serious shortages of domestically produced ammunition.

The soldiers seen above displaying rocket-propelled grenades during the parade were most likely given toy missiles 'because Kim Jong-Un doesn't want them to launch one at the viewing stand,' according to Michael Pregent, a former US Army intelligence officer

Then there are the projectiles that the troops attach to the end of their rifles. Pregent says that these 'weapons' are 'laughable' because 'you can see the plastic is over the muzzle'

Other troops marching appear to be holding silver-plated rifles (like the one held by the soldier standing to the left of Kim Jong-Un), but Pregent believes 'these are most likely painted'

According to Pregent, the sunglasses worn by the 'special ops commandos' are regular, flat-face frames that offer little protection for the eyes. Soldiers in Western countries use specially tailored 'ballistic safety glasses' that wrap around the head

The parade was held to mark the 105th birthday of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of the country's current ruler, Kim Jong-Un

North Korea's large-scale military parades and weapons displays are intended for propaganda purposes since the arms carried by the troops are largely fake, according to a US military expert

A North Korean navy truck carries the 'Pukkuksong' submarine-launched ballistic missile during a military parade in Pyongyang on April 15

'If it flies, it dies' The top US commander in the Pacific has warned North Korea that any planes or drones which threaten the USS Carl Vinson or any other American ships will be shot out of the sky without any questions asked. 'If it flies it will die, if it's flying against the Carl Vinson strike group,' said Admiral Harry Harris. Harris also told Congress on Wednesday the US may need to strengthen its missile defenses, particularly in Hawaii, given the advancing threat from North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs. Advertisement

Pregent says many of the accessories worn by the troops are also far short of military-grade.

The sunglasses worn by the 'special ops commandos' are regular, flat-face frames that offer little protection for the eyes.

Soldiers in Western countries use specially tailored 'ballistic safety glasses' that wrap around the head.

Then there are the projectiles the troops attach to the end of their rifles.

Pregent says that these 'weapons' are 'laughable' because 'you can see the plastic is over the muzzle.'

Though he concedes North Korea may have a substantial RPG capability, Pregent says that the soldiers on display during the parade were most likely given toy missiles 'because Kim Jong-Un doesn't want them to launch one at the viewing stand.'

Other troops marching appear to be holding silver-plated rifles, but Pregent believes 'these are most likely painted.'