"Stop North Korean Drones"... Military to Operate 'Suicide Drones' Starting Next Year

Rotem-L to be Fully Deployed in January After Power Evaluation
'Assassination of Key Figures' Possible... Precision Strike on Targets Within 1m
DAPA Shortens Development Period for Drone Jamming Capability

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] With a North Korean drone violating our airspace for the first time in five years, a new type of precision strike suicide drone capable of 'targeted assassination' will be deployed starting this year. This comes as President Yoon Seok-yeol ordered the early establishment of a drone unit, accelerating the response posture against North Korean drones.

According to the military on the 30th, the Israeli aerospace company IAI's suicide drone 'Rotem-L' will enter service from January next year. This drone was delivered to the Army Special Warfare Command in March this year and completed its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) evaluation by this month, with only reporting procedures remaining.

Suicide Drone Rotem-L

The Rotem-L is a quadcopter with four propellers, weighing around 6 kg. When its wings are folded, it can be carried in a backpack and can be unfolded and flown anywhere. Its operational range is 10 km; equipped with a 1.2 kg warhead equivalent to the power of two grenades, it can operate for 30 minutes, or 45 minutes when fitted with a surveillance reconnaissance capsule.

Although the warhead itself is not very powerful, its small size and low noise, combined with the ability to strike targets precisely within 1 meter, make it suitable for 'targeted assassination.' It is known that this drone is currently operated by the Special Mission Brigade of the Special Forces, nicknamed the 'Decapitation Unit.'

After launch, it can be recovered and reused through automatic landing, and new targets can be designated mid-air. A video released by IAI shows a single operator identifying a moving vehicle target with a camera mounted on the drone and then striking the vehicle's windshield directly. The footage also shows the drone accurately penetrating a target made to human life size.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military conducted a response and annihilation drill on the 29th, assuming a North Korean drone provocation situation. The photo shows the launch platform of the short-range surface-to-air missile 'Cheonma.'
[Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff]

The military is also accelerating the acquisition of 'soft-kill' countermeasures that disrupt drone operations through jamming signals. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced plans to shorten the development period of the 'Small Drone Countermeasure System' from 48 months to 39 months for rapid deployment. This system uses jamming signals to disrupt and disable drones, a so-called 'soft-kill' weapon.

A DAPA official explained, "The requirement was decided after the 2017 incident where a North Korean drone filmed the THAAD base in Seongju, and preliminary research was quickly conducted. We plan to shorten the procedures for system development starting next year and complete it within 39 months."

DAPA also stated that the 'Portable Small Drone Countermeasure System,' which applies commercial jamming technology, will be procured and deployed starting next year under the rapid demonstration acquisition program. Currently, bidding announcements for procurement are underway, and if the rapid demonstration acquisition program links to follow-up projects, it is expected that deployment can be achieved within 2 to 3 years as an 'urgent requirement.' This significantly shortens the deployment period compared to the usual 10 to 15 years for conventional weapon system acquisitions.

Earlier, on the 26th, North Korea provoked by sending five drones south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Notably, one drone hovered over Seoul's airspace for an hour. The military deployed Air Force fighter jets and Army aviation assets but failed to shoot down a single drone.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.