Delayed Border Drones... Performance Upgrades Needed After Introduction [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Increase in Defectors Calls for Urgent Additional Frontline and Coastal Security Measures
Urgent Deployment of Reconnaissance Drones Needed for Vulnerable CCTV Systems

As defections of North Korean residents continue recently, there are calls to strengthen security at general outposts (GOP) and coastal areas. Although closed-circuit television (CCTV) was installed as part of the scientific surveillance system project in frontline units, additional measures such as unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for coastal reconnaissance are urgently needed.

According to government officials, under the North Korean Kim Jong-un regime, the number of defectors has reached 10,985. Last year alone, there were 196 defectors. On the 20th, one North Korean soldier defected at the eastern front line in Goseong, Gangwon Province. This came just 12 days after a defector arrived on Ganghwa Island in the West Sea. Loudspeakers aimed at North Korea are operating at the front lines, and it is expected that the number of defectors will increase further.

As the number of military defectors increases, the military has strengthened its surveillance posture. As part of the scientific surveillance project, CCTV was installed at general outposts (GOP) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). However, gaps in the surveillance posture remain. Incidents such as wooden boat defections, flipper defections, and fence crossings have continued. As a secondary measure, the military proposed unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for coastal reconnaissance. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration decided to invest 43 billion won in 2020 to introduce coastal reconnaissance drones as the first step of a rapid demonstration project. The rapid demonstration project is a system that applies advanced new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to develop prototypes that can be used on the battlefield within two years.

Coastal Surveillance Drones Must Be Accelerated to Align with the Purpose of Rapid Acquisition Projects

However, delays in the project have led to criticism that it contradicts the purpose of the rapid acquisition project. The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade recently emphasized in its report titled “Establishing a Korean Weapon Acquisition Framework in Response to Global Trend Changes” that “due to the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and other factors, the speed of weapon acquisition has become a key element, and continuous innovation in the weapon acquisition process is necessary.” The United States also announced the 2023 Massive Replication Initiative (MRI), aiming to develop small drones within two years, highlighting speed and sufficient production capacity as key factors in weapon acquisition. The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade pointed out that to nurture domestic companies, weapon systems must be rapidly introduced and then followed by mass production systems. Rapid requirement projects produce only minimal quantities and lack guarantees for subsequent mass production, causing companies to hesitate to participate.

Jang Won-jun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, said, “We need to actively consider the introduction of AI acquisition, service acquisition, and rapid acquisition exclusively for private advanced technology companies currently being pursued, to establish a more speedy ‘Korean-style weapon acquisition framework.’”

Only 10% Localization of Drone Components... Use of Chinese Components Inevitable

The industry holds the position that the use of Chinese components, which has been controversial in some quarters, is an unavoidable choice. The localization rate of drone components produced domestically is less than 10%. Chinese companies dominate the global drone market, with over 90% of drones sold domestically being Chinese-made. Most domestic drone companies are small-scale businesses struggling to invest in technology, falling behind Chinese companies that lead in price and technological competitiveness. To foster the domestic drone industry, there is growing support for the argument that early introduction followed by performance improvement is necessary.

The U.S. Tomahawk missile is a representative example. In its early days, the Tomahawk missile’s hit rate was poor, not exceeding 70%. However, through performance upgrades, the hit rate improved. The Tomahawk missile was fired more than 800 times during the 1991 Gulf War, the 2001 Afghanistan invasion, and the 2003 Iraq invasion. After the missile’s performance was proven, the U.S. Navy accelerated development of the new Maritime Strike Tomahawk (MST), capable of accurately striking moving sea targets such as enemy ships. Currently, the subsonic missile (890 km/h), guided by satellite navigation (GPS), is mainly launched from submarines and destroyers, maintaining an altitude of 30 meters and capable of striking targets up to 2,500 km away with pinpoint accuracy.

Kim Dae-young, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Strategy, said, “The Turkish military operationalized drones within 3 to 4 months after initial flights and then upgraded their performance. For weapon systems needed for coastal surveillance, urgency must be considered, and early introduction followed by performance upgrades should be pursued.”

Performance Upgrades Expected to Improve Quality and Boost Defense Exports

Performance-upgraded drones can also aid K-defense exports. The global drone industry is expected to grow from about 32 trillion won in 2021 to 146 trillion won by 2032. Domestically, the market is projected to grow from 840.6 billion won in 2021 to 3.9 trillion won in 2032. This is why there are calls to classify it as a growth industry and secure a leading position in the global market.

The industry emphasizes that even if Chinese components are used in drones, the security system is not compromised. In the past, Chinese components used in CCTV for the Army’s sea and river scientific surveillance system caused controversy when the configured IP addresses were found to be in Beijing, China. These CCTV IP addresses had previously been linked to the distribution of malicious code.

Drones Safer than Security CCTV

On the other hand, the coastal reconnaissance drone project candidate invested more than two years in research and development, designing and developing the airframe independently and conducting long-term self-testing. During the evaluation process, it received high scores in operational radius, altitude, operation time, and simultaneous control. It met all essential military requirements, including flight performance, control performance, electronic protection functions, encryption, and automatic erasure. Additionally, software installed on ground control equipment was developed in-house and applied. The data link, a core component for data transmission and reception, was successfully localized through collaboration with domestic companies. Information leakage prevention features using military-exclusive frequencies and domestic encryption modules were also added.

A military official said, “As seen in the Russia-Ukraine war, the introduction of drones is an urgent issue. We should not delay the project due to suspicions about Chinese design or component use but proceed swiftly in line with the purpose of the rapid acquisition project.”