Army reviewing deployment of 'suicide drones' to battalion-level units as part of modernization push

▲ This file photo, provided by the Army, shows Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha speaking at a commissioning ceremony at the Army's Noncommissioned Officer Academy in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, southwestern South Korea, on March 26, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Army-drone strategy

Army reviewing deployment of 'suicide drones' to battalion-level units as part of modernization push

By Kim Hyun-soo

GYERYONG, South Korea, April 30 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Army is reviewing deploying "suicide drones" to battalion-level units as part of its modernization push, according to Army officials.

During a media briefing held at the Army headquarters in Gyeryong, south of Seoul, on Wednesday, the Army said it was "pushing to determine whether to deploy suicide drones and reconnaissance drones at the battalion level and below in a timely manner."

"Drones are going to be like personal firearms from now on," Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha said during the briefing. "All combatants have personal firearms right? That's how freely operable (drones) should become."

Separate from the suicide drone program, the Army plans to introduce some 11,000 drones for educational purposes this year and deploy over 50,000 operational drones by 2029, enabling the operation of one educational drone per squad units.

On the significance of strengthening drone capabilities on the Korean Peninsula, the Army chief explained that great technological advances in drones and robots have took place since 2018, when the so-called Army TIGER project was first introduced.

The initiative is aimed at equipping Army units with manned-unmanned teaming combat systems capable of conducting multi-domain operations, with the goal of transforming all Army units under the advanced concept by 2040.

While acknowledging that the Army has fallen behind in terms of the speed of technology adoption, Kim vowed to expedite the broad deployment of drones in the military.

"The concept (of Army TIGER) was first adopted eight years ago," Kim said. "Since then, we've been through the Russia-Ukraine war, and (technological advances) related to drones and robots have leaped forward," he added.

Last year, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back disclosed plans to nurture 500,000 "drone warriors," saying such unmanned systems have become a "game changer" in modern warfare. Under the vision, the military seeks to train all conscripts in drone operation.

Asked about the plan disclosed by the defense minister to reduce the number of troops deployed to border units from 22,000 to 6,000 by 2040, the Army chief said he saw the plan as feasible within the set time window, although noting an immediate troop cut was not immediately plausible.

Ahn disclosed the plan to cut the number of troops deployed at border units earlier this month by replacing them with surveillance systems powered by artificial intelligence. The plan has spawned concerns that it could create a potential vacuum in the military's surveillance capabilities.

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