North Korea said Monday it has newly developed controllable shells for a multiple rocket launcher and its ballistic control system as part of its push to expand its weapons arsenal.

The Academy of Defence Science conducted a test firing of 240 mm-caliber controllable multiple rocket launcher shells on Sunday in a bid to evaluate their accuracy and prove their advantages, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

"The development of 240 mm-caliber controllable multiple rocket launcher shells and its ballistic control system will make a qualitative change in our army's multiple rocket launcher force," the KCNA said.

North Korea said the latest technical improvement will help reevaluate the strategic value and utility of the 240 mm-caliber rocket launcher and increase the role of such a weapon in battlefields.

North Korea has dialed up tensions on the Korean Peninsula with weapons tests in the new year, including launches of cruise missiles from sea and land.

In January last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called a new super-large 600-mm rocket launcher an "offensive weapon" capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads that could put the entire South Korea within its range. (Yonhap)