Why did the suicide drone crash into the sea during the Busan test?

The Agency for Defense Development said a defect in the launch tube caused a misalignment in the left door of the lower part, creating an imbalance in repulsive force. The drone then lost balance, turned sharply rightward and fell into the sea seconds after launch.

What ship and location were involved in the suicide drone test near Busan?

The drone was launched from the 14,000-ton Marado amphibious assault ship during a combat test earlier this week. It was intended to strike a boat in waters near the southern port city of Busan.

What did the Agency for Defense Development say about further testing of the loitering munition?

The ADD said it has no plan to conduct an additional maritime test because it has already secured the core technology related to the drone operation. It also said the drone and the overall system were operating normally, and it is still checking whether the misalignment happened during assembly or while the launcher was being moved.

Suicide drone falls into sea after launch due to minor defect: officials

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Summary

A suicide drone crashed into the sea near Busan during a combat test earlier this week after a defect in its launch tube, the Agency for Defense Development said Friday. The drone was launched from the Marado amphibious assault ship and plunged into the sea twice seconds after launch because of a misalignment in the left door of the lower launch tube. The agency said the system and drone were otherwise operating normally and that the misalignment may have happened during assembly or while the launcher was being moved.

Key Facts

The drone was launched from the 14,000-ton Marado amphibious assault ship and was supposed to hit a boat in waters near Busan on Tuesday.
The Agency for Defense Development said the misalignment in the left door of the lower part of the launch tube caused an imbalance in repulsive force.
Officials said the same launch tube had been used several times before and that this was the first time such a problem occurred during the test run.
The ADD said it has no plan for an additional maritime test of the loitering munition because it has already secured core technology related to the drone operation.
The drone has a 3-meter wingspan and is designed for reconnaissance, surveillance and strike missions while staying airborne for over 10 hours.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 28, 2026 4:19 pm KST

Navy's loitering munition plunges into the sea after failing to launch from a 14,000-ton Marado amphibious assault ship during a combat test in Busan, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

A suicide drone crashed into the sea after launch during a combat test earlier this week due to a defect in its launch tube, its manufacturer said Friday.

The loitering munition under development by the military was launched from the 14,000-ton Marado amphibious assault ship and was set to strike a boat in waters near the southern port city of Busan on Tuesday.

But the drone plunged into the sea twice seconds after the launch, caused by "misalignment" in the left door of the lower part of the launch tube, according to the Agency for Defense Development (ADD).

The misalignment resulted in an imbalance in the repulsive force, prompting the drone to lose balance and turn all the way rightward before crashing into the sea.

"The drone and the overall system were found to be operating normally," an ADD official said.

The ADD official said the agency suspected the misalignment occurred during the assembly process, or when the launcher was being moved, adding it was looking into the exact cause of the incident.

It marked the first time that such a problem arose during the test run of the suicide drone, officials said, noting the same launch tube was previously used on several occasions.

The ADD said it has no plan to additionally conduct a maritime test of the loitering munition as it has already secured core technology related to the drone operation.

The drone, featuring a 3-meter wingspan, is designed to simultaneously perform reconnaissance, surveillance and strike missions while remaining airborne for over 10 hours.

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