Grenade-Launching Drone to Be Released Next Year

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The attack drone 'Yutanbalsa Drone,' equipped with six 40mm grenades (small shells), will be pilot-operated by the military in the first half of next year.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced on the 3rd that through the rapid pilot acquisition project system, it has signed a purchase contract for the 'Yutanbalsa Drone' and 'Small Modular Drone,' which incorporate civilian new technologies, and plans to pilot operate them in the first half of next year.

The Yutanbalsa Drone is an attack drone equipped with six 40mm grenades capable of remote-controlled firing at short-range targets within 2 km. It uses a two-axis horizontal device and a recoil absorption device to absorb the shock during firing, maintaining a stable posture for stable shooting.

Operators can directly aim at targets through optical and thermal imaging cameras and a laser rangefinder. It can fire six consecutive shots at a rate of one shot every 2 seconds, with each grenade causing damage within a 5-meter radius. The grenade refers to a small shell that uses the explosive force and fragments of gunpowder packed inside the bullet.

Additionally, the 'Small Modular Drone' weighs less than 1.95 kg, making it easy to carry. It can perform surveillance and reconnaissance missions by mounting various modular equipment. Designed to attach or detach modular equipment such as optical and thermal imaging cameras, speakers, searchlights, and laser rangefinders on the aircraft, it is deployed for counterterrorism and special operations missions such as warning and jamming broadcasts and target designation.

Meanwhile, the global market size for drones integrating advanced technologies such as aviation, information and communication, software (SW), and sensors reaches approximately 23 trillion won. Major countries worldwide, including the United States, China, and Europe, are conducting various practical projects to dominate the global market, and Korea is also focusing its capabilities by preparing policies for the commercialization of drones. In the defense sector, commercial drones from the civilian sector are introduced and operated for attack, reconnaissance, and communication relay purposes according to military demands through the rapid pilot acquisition project.