[2024 National Audit] One Year Since Drone Command Establishment... Serious Issues with Defective Drones

Analysis of Audit Data by Defense Committee Member Heo Young
4 out of 20 Accidents Involved Crashes During Flight

It has been revealed that 20 drone crash and malfunction incidents have occurred at the Drone Operations Command, which was established just over a year ago.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to data disclosed by Representative Heo Young of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, received from the Ministry of National Defense on the 11th, 4 out of the 20 incidents resulted in total destruction due to crashes during flight. Among the total destruction cases, 2 were caused by engine shutdowns and 2 by sensor malfunctions. Aside from total destruction, there were 6 cases of external damage caused by factors such as encountering gusts of wind during landing, and 10 cases where engine malfunctions were detected. The Drone Command operates a single model of 'small reconnaissance drones,' with the unit price of the model being approximately 30 million won, according to the representative's office.

The Drone Command (Drone Sa) is known to operate about 100 reconnaissance drones, and the occurrence of 20 malfunctions is considered a significant proportion. The military announced plans to strengthen unmanned aerial vehicle and drone capabilities following North Korea's airspace intrusion by an unmanned aerial vehicle at the end of 2022, with the establishment of the Drone Command as one of the measures, which was realized on September 1 of last year.

Representative Heo stated, "Currently, the Drone Command's diversity and stability of equipment somewhat diverge from the status implied by the name 'Operations Command,'" and urged, "Efforts and innovation are necessary."