A target explodes during a performance test of attack drones conducted by the Drone Institute of North Korea’s Academy of Defense Sciences at an undisclosed location in North Korea in August 2024. (KCNA via Yonhap)
South Korea’s military is moving to strengthen protection against large-scale, simultaneous drone attacks, as officials assess that existing radar- and missile-based air defense systems may not be enough to block such threats.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday, the military recently commissioned a study to improve counterdrone protection for major military facilities, including ammunition depots, fuel storage sites, air bases and command-and-control facilities.
The study reflects growing concern that drones, with their low cost, mobility and remote-control capabilities, have become an asymmetric threat that can be difficult to detect and intercept with conventional defense systems.
The JCS said the rapid spread and technological advancement of drones have created new types of threats against national infrastructure and military facilities.
The study will focus on how to reinforce facilities themselves, rather than relying solely on systems designed to detect, identify and shoot down incoming drones.
Military officials are paying particular attention to vulnerabilities such as exposed upper sections of storage facilities, windows, doors, ventilation openings and electric and communications equipment
Thick concrete walls and barriers have long been used to protect military facilities, but small drones can now approach from above or enter through gaps in buildings, creating new risks for critical assets.
The JCS plans to examine protective measures for ammunition and fuel storage facilities, ways to secure openings in buildings and steps to keep key communications and power systems operational during an attack.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (in white) inspects the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defense Sciences in August 2024. (KCNA via Yonhap)
The move comes as recent conflicts have shown how drones can be used not only against vehicles and troops, but also against ammunition depots, air bases and command facilities. In Ukraine and the Middle East, drones have increasingly been used alongside missiles and artillery in complex attacks.
North Korea is assessed to be capable of launching simultaneous strikes against the Seoul metropolitan area and key military facilities in the early stages of a conflict, using short-range ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and other weapons.
Concerns have also grown that Pyongyang could use low-cost drones to exhaust South Korea’s air defense systems, while gaining practical knowledge of drone warfare through its involvement in the war in Ukraine.
The JCS said existing radar- and missile-centered air defense systems would have difficulty fully blocking large-scale drone attacks or mixed strikes involving artillery, missiles and drones.
“Physical and structural protection of facility infrastructure itself is essential,” the JCS said.
The study will review overseas cases of drone attacks on major military facilities over the past five years and examine protection standards used by countries such as the United States and Israel.
It will also look into physical protection methods, including net structures, shielding walls and blast-resistant facilities, as well as technologies that can be applied to existing facilities.
The JCS plans to use the study results to revise protection standards for major military facilities and prepare standard guidelines that field units can apply.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
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