Former Defense Ministry Spokesperson: "Drone Signal Jamming Equipment Deployed at Cheongwadae"

MBC Radio Appearance "Anti-Aircraft Gun Hit Rate Significantly Dropped"
Laser-Guided Weapon Effective but Not Developed

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] Former Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Bu Seung-chan appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 29th and stated regarding North Korean drone countermeasures, "Laser weapons have not yet been developed, and there have been cases where electronic jamming devices were actually deployed around the Blue House."

Former spokesperson Bu said, "The effectiveness could significantly increase when using laser-guided weapons or electronic jamming devices." Electronic jamming devices work by blocking radio waves to neutralize drones remotely controlled by North Korea when infiltrating.

Bu added, "They were installed at the Blue House. However, their range is only about 2 km, so I don't know how they are currently being operated." This implies it is difficult to know how they are deployed after the presidential office moved to Yongsan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He explained that with current technology, detection is possible but identification is not easy. He said, "To be precise, identification happens after detection. Detection means recognizing something flying, right? But distinguishing whether it is a flock of birds, a balloon, or a drone?accurately identifying it as a drone?has not yet been achieved."

Former spokesperson Bu also explained the difficulties in shooting down drones. He said, "There have not been many positive results when test-firing anti-aircraft guns. For example, cases where hundreds of rounds were fired to shoot down one drone are common," adding, "the hit rate drops significantly, and it is almost impossible with fighter jets."

Bu said, "Small drones typically fly at speeds of about 80 to 130 km/h. Fighter jets are hundreds of times faster, so when aiming, the drone passes by quickly?it's like drawing a knife to swat a mosquito."

He also mentioned that if initial response fails, dealing with drones becomes difficult. He said, "If the initial response fails and the drone enters civilian or urban areas, even if detected and identified, intercepting it is not easy," adding, "when it comes to urban areas, it is not a matter of intercepting with one or two shots; hundreds of rounds may need to be fired." He explained that interception is difficult considering the risk of falling debris damaging civilian homes.