ⓒ JoongAng Ilbo / JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version2023.01.06 16:31
A drone stirs the skies above Seoul. On December 26, the South Korean military detected a North Korean drone intruding on its airspace, but was unable to intercept it with fighter jets, helicopters or anti-aircraft fire. He is said to have returned only after simple reconnaissance and photographs, but it is terrifying to imagine North Korean drones carrying bombs or spraying biological and chemical weapons over Seoul.
The “era of drone warfare” is opening, as seen in the Ukrainian war where suicide drones were mobilized. So how far have North Korea’s drone capabilities developed and how far can the South Korean military respond? Hong Sung-pyo, director of the Office of Defense and Military Strategy at the Korea Institute of Military Affairs, the nation’s top drone expert, stressed that North Korea’s ability to respond to killer drones needs to be greatly expanded. . After graduating from the Air Force Academy, Hong worked as a transport aircraft pilot (L-2), was transferred to the reserve forces as a colonel at the end of his term as a professor at the National Defense Academy, and also served serving as a professor in Asia University’s National Defense Digital Fusion Department.
— “Drone War Era” has arrived.
“Early in the Ukrainian war, the United States supplied 700 Switchblade drones, while Russia rushed to order and deploy 2,400 Iranian-made Shahed 136 drones. It’s efficient if you think about it. It’s a cheap suicide drone, but it’s not easy to defend yourself, so it’s a weapon with an excellent price/performance ratio.”
— Competition between the US and China is also fierce.
“Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology, made possible by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, are being combined, and state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicles are playing an active role. Equipped with 14 Hellfire rockets on drones, the joint drone operation eliminated about 5,000 terrorists Jihadi Jon (Muhammad Emwazi) in Syria in 2015 and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force in Iraq in 2020. General Soleimani was killed instantly by a US military drone strike last year.China has launched a killer drone that can shoot down small, low-flying, low-flying high-speed drones flying at speeds of 200 kilometers per hour and an altitude of less than 1 kilometer from a short distance with a high-power laser beam.
— What is the level of North Korean drones?
“It is estimated that they have about 500 aircraft. Most of them are reconnaissance aircraft for video intelligence acquisition. There are probably about 10 suicide drones such as MQM-107D and TU-143. Chinese technology is used. The drone discovered in 2014 it was at an entry level with an engine displacement of 35cc and fuel of 4.5 liters. North Korea will likely focus on protecting attack drones from China, Russia and even Iran.
–What is North Korea’s intention behind this provocation?
“It was for reconnaissance, not for attack. It seems that the local provocation was a large retaliation and covert reconnaissance with a drone. I shot it without being shot down, but it penetrated and was discovered, and the South Korean drone this time, the drone has been used for photography, but because it flies to a specific target, it can be used for attack if it is used to target a specific target. It can be equipped with high explosives and biochemical weapons and operated, but having biochemical weapons would be a war crime.”
— Isn’t the drone invasion a violation of the military agreement?
“This is a violation of the ceasefire agreement and the September 19 military agreement, which prohibited hostile acts. The no-fly zone extends up to 10km. In response to North Korea’s provocation, the military South Korean allegedly sent an unmanned aerial vehicle (Peregrine Falcon) to a height of 5 km above the north to carry out a reconnaissance flight.
— How do you see the response of the South Korean army?
“I should have shot down the drone that violated our airspace, but it is very disappointing. Pilots should shoot down without considering other things. Pilots should shoot down even if they sacrifice their life. It is impossible to think about various things and waste the right time .
— There was an eavesdropping system, but it couldn’t be used.
“In 2014, a North Korean drone photographed Cheongwadae (South Korea’s presidential office), and in 2015, we launched a detection and interception asset that can detect drones at a range of up to 20 kilometers and shoot them down within 3 kilometers. However, during the Moon Jae-in administration, he was reportedly never able to conduct training.In 2018, President Moon ordered the formation of a four-company “Dronebot Combat Team.” equipped with weapons and equipment.It is said that the light KA-1 was deceived by the fact that it was organized only with words and had no follow-up measures.it was deployed and crashed.In the past five years, the readiness of the army has completely collapsed.”
— Why did the response system become like this?
“I was in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province that day, and when I heard the noise of planes and looked at the sky, I saw four military aircraft (two KA-1 light attack aircraft and two fighters) flying. it was supposed to be sent to intercept North Korean drones flying over Seoul (above Gwangjin-gu) along the Han River from the west, but they failed to fire. However, to shoot down a 2-meter drone, there was no choice but to use a strategy with a low price/performance ratio, maybe I didn’t do it for me
–What does it mean?
“I think it is because of the influence of the Moon Jae-in administration. We have been giving spiritual education to our soldiers every week for the past five years and we must avoid a confrontation between North and South at all costs. The battalion commanders of the units of frontline use these words as a habit. It is natural for soldiers to have the attitude of crushing the enemy when they see him. The unit maintains a cutting edge. However, if you emphasize “peaceful” and lose your sharp edge, you will hesitate and you’ll lose your timing worrying about your surroundings. it shouldn’t”
