By Rachel Lee
Korea plans to develop stealth unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to counter North Korea's long-range artillery and mobile missile systems, the military said Sunday.
The development program is part of 31 research projects scheduled to be conducted by the end of next year, officials said. The stealth UAVs, if developed, will be tasked with monitoring and destroying the North's mobile missile systems and long-range artillery.
The stealth UAVs will fly at higher altitude than North Korea's aerial defense systems are capable of targeting and attack the North's long-range missiles and mobile missile systems, including 240mm multiple rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled guns. The targets also include Scud, Rodong and Musudan missiles.
"For large targets such as long-range missiles, the UAV will be able to hit them directly," an official said. "To target smaller objects, the UAV will identify the targets and strike them with several submunition rounds."
By next year, the military will work on analyzing UAV models and setting up ideas for operating systems. After that, they will begin applied research, which is scheduled to be concluded by the end of 2019.
The official said that the Agency for Defense Development will spend 380 million won ($327,000) on the initial part of the development. Once the initial research phase is over, applied research will be conducted from 2017 to 2019.
Korea also plans to look into the possibility of developing a drone to detect unauthorized personnel around military facilities with built-in high performance video cameras, as another research project, the official said. The defense ministry will work together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to develop these drones.
The South is increasingly using drones to monitor the North's military.
Last month, the military said it will develop drones for operations inside the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone. When the unmanned search vehicles are deployed, they will aid highly dangerous search and reconnaissance operations undertaken by border military units.
Korea plans to develop stealth unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to counter North Korea's long-range artillery and mobile missile systems, the military said Sunday.
The development program is part of 31 research projects scheduled to be conducted by the end of next year, officials said. The stealth UAVs, if developed, will be tasked with monitoring and destroying the North's mobile missile systems and long-range artillery.
The stealth UAVs will fly at higher altitude than North Korea's aerial defense systems are capable of targeting and attack the North's long-range missiles and mobile missile systems, including 240mm multiple rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled guns. The targets also include Scud, Rodong and Musudan missiles.
"For large targets such as long-range missiles, the UAV will be able to hit them directly," an official said. "To target smaller objects, the UAV will identify the targets and strike them with several submunition rounds."
By next year, the military will work on analyzing UAV models and setting up ideas for operating systems. After that, they will begin applied research, which is scheduled to be concluded by the end of 2019.
The official said that the Agency for Defense Development will spend 380 million won ($327,000) on the initial part of the development. Once the initial research phase is over, applied research will be conducted from 2017 to 2019.
Korea also plans to look into the possibility of developing a drone to detect unauthorized personnel around military facilities with built-in high performance video cameras, as another research project, the official said. The defense ministry will work together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to develop these drones.
The South is increasingly using drones to monitor the North's military.
Last month, the military said it will develop drones for operations inside the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone. When the unmanned search vehicles are deployed, they will aid highly dangerous search and reconnaissance operations undertaken by border military units.
