LIG Nex1 Begins Development of Countermeasure System to Hunt North Korean Drones

Initiation of Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Response System Development Project

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Full-scale research and development of the 'Korean-style Jammer' to capture North Korean drones has begun.

LIG Nex1 plans to start a system development project for a small drone countermeasure system (Block-I) worth approximately 24.4 billion KRW, running from this month until January 2026.

A jammer is a device used to interfere with, restrict, or degrade communication or radar systems. It is an electronic warfare equipment that disrupts radio waves using noise or discontinuous frequencies. The small drone countermeasure system is deployed at the frontline to prevent North Korean drones from entering airspace using a 'soft kill' method. Soft kill refers to neutralizing the effect of an enemy weapon without physical destruction, contrasting with 'hard kill,' which means physical destruction.

In Block-I, LIG Nex1 plans to develop a function where the jammer receives flight path information of long-range small drones detected by local air defense radars and air defense command and control warning systems, and emits jamming signals to divert the drones from their course or induce crashes. Later, in Block-II, they plan to expand detection and tracking capabilities by additionally developing the jammer's own detection radar and image identification devices.

A military official stated, "Once development is complete, electronic warfare attack capabilities against North Korean drones will be strengthened, significantly enhancing the mission capability of frontline units," adding, "It is also expected to contribute to revitalizing the defense industry through future exports."

Recently, with drones and anti-drone jamming devices actively used in the Russia-Ukraine war, global interest in drone-related weapon systems is increasing. The US Forces Korea operates the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, which uses a mobile radar (X-MADIS) to detect and identify small drones, and a rifle-shaped 'Drone Buster' that can emit jamming signals to drones in conjunction with this radar.