South Korea’s military plans to launch a drone operations command in the second half of this year, in a move to counter North Korea’s military threats and bolster its use of the unmanned assets, Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday.
The planned command will carry out various missions by utilizing the unmanned aircraft, including surveillance and reconnaissance, psychological warfare, electromagnetic warfare and strike operations, according to the Defense Ministry.
The ministry noted the need to establish the unit, citing threats from North Korea’s drone infiltrations and the changing security environment, such as the increasing use of drones for modern and future warfare. The ministry said it expects the planned command will make it possible to carry out strategic and operational missions “systematically and efficiently” in the battlefield.
After the North’s Dec. 26 drone infiltrations, the military unveiled a plan in January to set up the specialized unit and a series of anti-drone measures, such as holding regular air defense drills and securing drone jamming guns and other assets.
On Dec. 26, Pyongyang sent five drones into South Korean airspace, but Seoul’s military failed to shoot them down, raising questions about its readiness posture. The North’s drone operations have been a source of growing security concerns in the South, as they could be used for spy operations, as well as potential attack missions against the South.
Source: Kuwait News Agency