Drone Capture and Neutralization... Core Defense System of Future Warfare On Site [Military Stories]

LIG Nex1 Gumi House Tour
A Hub of Radar Technology That Captures Drones and Trash Balloons

On the 19th, North Korea once again launched trash balloons. Since May, North Korea has released a total of 29 trash balloons. About 10 of these trash balloons fell in the Cheorwon area of Gangwon Province. Inside and outside the military, voices are emerging that we must prepare for attacks using large-scale drones carrying biochemical weapons rather than just balloons. This is because drones can accurately deliver more biochemical weapons.

If North Korea utilizes drones, it could contaminate not only the Seoul metropolitan area but also the surrounding regions with the 5,000 tons of chemical agents it already possesses. According to the “Northeast Asia Security Situation Analysis” published by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), 5,000 tons of chemical agents is enough to contaminate an area of 2,500 km², which is four times the size of Seoul. As a result, domestic defense companies are rapidly moving to develop systems to counter drones. We visited the LIG Nex1 Gumi factory, which is developing an integrated anti-drone system.

LIG Nex1 needs to conduct high-frequency tests to challenge the aerospace industry, including satellites, and has built a testing facility capable of testing up to 40 gigahertz (GHz) in preparation for this. (Photo by LIG Nex1)

When the chamber door was opened, thousands of carbon fiber electromagnetic wave absorbers, resembling thorns growing on tree branches, were attached to the inner walls. (Photo by LIG Nex1)

In front of the Gumi factory headquarters, the flags of 16 countries that participated in the Korean War and the United Nations were fluttering side by side. The purpose was to never forget the pain of the war and the gratitude toward the allied countries. On the main building, a large phrase read, “We live with the words of the Republic of Korea in our hearts.” It seemed to embody the pride of the defense company. A company official guided us to the medium-range close combat test facility, built in December last year, to show the radar development site.

The Size of Electromagnetic Wave Absorbers Varies According to Frequency Range

LIG Nex1 needs to conduct high-frequency tests to challenge the aerospace industry, including artificial satellites, and has built a test facility capable of testing up to 40 gigahertz (GHz). Inside the building, there were electromagnetic wave test chambers on both sides, each over 6 meters high. Opening the chamber door revealed thousands of carbon fiber electromagnetic wave absorbers attached to the inner walls, resembling thorns growing on tree branches. This is to prevent interference from external electromagnetic waves during testing. The size of the electromagnetic wave absorbers varies depending on the frequency range. The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength and the better the directivity. Weapon systems used in aerospace employ high frequencies. To conduct these high-frequency tests, the size of the electromagnetic wave absorbers must be reduced. To develop various weapon systems, corresponding test facilities must be built. This is why there are as many as 13 such test chambers inside the Gumi factory.

Park Sang-ha, team leader of the Reliability Center, said, “The latest AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar on fighter jets is equipped with hundreds of transmit/receive modules (TRMs) to track multiple targets simultaneously and generate high-power signals. To test multiple antennas operating at various frequencies simultaneously, the test facility standards must be elevated accordingly.”

Development of Integrated Anti-Drone System Targeting Drones

LIG Nex1 has developed an “Integrated Anti-Drone System.” This system detects and neutralizes enemy drones. It detects enemy drones using an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, tracks them with an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera, and suppresses them using a jammer. It is considered a core defense system for future warfare. LIG Nex1 has verified the integrated operation system through more than 500 outdoor tests.

We moved to the outdoor radar system test site. On the third floor of the building, local air defense radar and maritime surveillance radar-II were being tested. These radars can monitor land, sea, and air. All radars were transmitting signals toward a radio reflector (BEACON) tower standing on Pilbongsan Mountain in front. The tower is about 1 km away across the Nakdong River. This test site can be set to detect up to 400 km, making it the largest radar system test site in the country.

Local Air Defense Radar First Detected North Korean Drone

The local air defense radar was mounted on a vehicle, raised over 5 meters, and rotated once every 2 seconds. In December 2022, this radar gained fame by being the first to detect a North Korean drone at an air defense position on the western front. Since it was a secure area, we could not enter the radar control room, but inside, a circular radar display, seen only in movies, was continuously rotating on the monitor, as expected of a control room.

A company official said, “To compete with countries like the U.S., where global aerospace companies such as SpaceX are based, and countries like China and Japan that pursue state-led development policies, domestic defense companies also need to build aerospace industry infrastructure,” adding, “We will be at the center of this effort.”