South Korean Military To Buy Polish UAVs To Face North Korean Suicide Drone Threats

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while reviewing the suicide drone test. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - The South Korean military will buy Polish UAVs this year, a move experts say will significantly strengthen the country's ability to fight North Korea's suicide drones.

Military sources on Tuesday said the Ministry of National Defense recently submitted a request to acquire military drones to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

Poland's drone, which has proven effective on the Ukrainian battlefield against Russian troops, could change the game in air warfare, analysts said.

A DAPA official told The Korea Times that a South Korean delegation recently traveled to Warsaw to see unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and assessed their suitability for the South Korean military.

"Details regarding the format of procurement or the type of offer have yet to be decided," the official said, launching The Korea Times September 3.

The official refused to confirm the exact number or type of drone. However, several media reports say the number could be around 200.

The Ministry of Defense underlines the growing importance of UAVs, particularly given the latest conflicts such as the Ukraine war.

"Our ministry and relevant agencies are exploring various options, including international purchases, to strengthen the capabilities of our drone," ministry spokeswoman Jeon Ha-kyu said at a briefing.

A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said discussions over Polish unmanned aircraft had progressed substantially, given their proven capabilities and their cost effectiveness.

The most likely-to-considered model is Warmate, which Ukrainian frontline units have used in conflict with Russia.

Separately, Kim Dae-young, a military expert at the Korea Institute of Research for National Strategy, said Polish UAVs had more advanced capabilities than North Korea's UAVs, although specific details about North Korea's UAVs were largely unknown.

"North Korea's unmanned aircraft appear to be still in the development stage, which requires increased performance. Plus, the mass production of this drone could be a challenge for a resource-deficient country. However, Polish drones have demonstrated their effectiveness in the Ukraine war," Kim said.

Currently, the South Korean military is known to operate thousands of drones. However, most of them are used for surveillance activities, especially to monitor North Korea's artillery locations, with only a small number of aircraft being suicide drones.

However, the increasing threat of North Korea's drone has increased the urgency for Seoul to increase its own UAV attack capabilities.

At the end of August, Pyongyang claimed to have carried out a performance test of a suicide drone, releasing a photo showing a drone hitting a target that resembles South Korea's K-2 combat tank.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who oversees the test, called for a rapid increase in drone production to increase the country's military readiness.