▲ This photo shows the Navy's loitering munition plunging into the sea after launching from the 14,000-ton Marado amphibious assault ship during a combat test in the southern port city of Busan on Aug. 28, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- A suicide drone crashed into the sea after launch during a combat test earlier this week due to a defect in its launch tube, its manufacturer said Friday.

The loitering munition under development by the military was launched from the 14,000-ton Marado amphibious assault ship and was set to strike a boat in waters near the southern port city of Busan on Tuesday.

But the drone plunged into the sea twice seconds after the launch, caused by "misalignment" in the left door of the lower part of the launch tube, according to the Agency for Defense Development (ADD).

The misalignment resulted in an imbalance in the repulsive force, prompting the drone to lose balance and turn all the way rightward before crashing into the sea.

"The drone and the overall system were found to be operating normally," an ADD official said.

The ADD official said the agency suspected the misalignment occurred during the assembly process, or when the launcher was being moved, adding it was looking into the exact cause of the incident.

It marked the first time that such a problem arose during the test run of the suicide drone, officials said, noting the same launch tube was previously used on several occasions.

The ADD said it has no plan to additionally conduct a maritime test of the loitering munition as it has already secured core technology related to the drone operation.

The drone, featuring a 3-meter wingspan, is designed to simultaneously perform reconnaissance, surveillance and strike missions while remaining airborne for over 10 hours.

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