[Report] Drones Neutralizing Israel's 'Iron Wall'... Also Dominating 'ADEX 2023'

At the ADEX Exhibition Site
Domestic Defense Companies Showcase Unmanned Systems
Hydrogen Fuel Drones, Attack Drones, Anti-Drone Systems Draw Attention

The Palestinian armed faction Hamas attacked Israel with rocket launchers on the 7th of this month (local time), first using drones to disable communication infrastructure. Hamas destroyed the communication surveillance tower controlling the ‘Iron Wall,’ a barrier installed on the Israel-Gaza border, with remotely controlled drone bombs. As the military and communication networks were paralyzed, Israel’s advanced sensors and remote machine guns, which it boasted as the 'Smart Fence,' became useless. Subsequently, Hamas operatives freely crossed the barrier using hang gliders and paragliders.

Through last year’s Ukraine-Russia war and the recent Israel-Palestine Hamas conflict, drones have demonstrated powerful destructive capabilities and emerged as threatening offensive assets. At the largest domestic aerospace and defense industry exhibition, ‘Seoul ADEX 2023,’ which opened on the 17th at Seongnam Airport in Seoul, the trend was also ‘unmanned weapon systems.’

LIG Nex1 Showcases Hybrid Transport Drones

Korean Air has released two types of drones, the 'KUS-SX' and the 'KUS-VX'.

Among the exhibition halls filled with air force weapon systems, drones introduced by domestic companies were the first to catch the eye. At the ADEX venue, the LIG Nex1 booth displayed small drones capable of performing reconnaissance and strike missions simultaneously, as well as the 'KCD-40 Hybrid Transport Drone' and 'KCD-200 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Transport Drone,' attracting visitors’ attention.

The KCD-40 is a drone using a hybrid engine system that combines an internal combustion engine with a battery, capable of carrying up to 40 kg of cargo and flying for one hour. It can be used for supplying military goods during exhibitions or delivering relief supplies to isolated areas in peacetime. The KCD-200 uses batteries and hydrogen fuel cells as power sources, can carry over 200 kg of cargo, and fly for more than an hour at speeds exceeding 100 km/h, making it more versatile. Especially, as a multipurpose drone equipped with bombs inside that can perform reconnaissance and self-destruct attacks at the last moment, it is considered a significant threat on the battlefield. Manager Pi Se-chan of LIG Nex1’s Electronic Warfare Business Unit introduced, “It covers everything from surveillance, reconnaissance, attack, and transport to counter-drone systems, attracting considerable overseas interest.”

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) also showcased a manned-unmanned combined system. Beyond focusing on drone performance development itself, this concept involves mounting drones on existing helicopters or fighter jets for practical use. Four drones are mounted?two on each side of the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH)?and when entering the operational area, the drones are deployed first to detect enemy movements and relay this information to the helicopter, significantly enhancing the helicopter’s survivability and operational capability, according to the company. A KAI official said, “This mounted drone concept can be applied not only to the LAH but also to the Korean fighter KF-21. The goal is to complete technology development by 2028 and commercialize it by 2030.”

Korean Air Develops Vertical Takeoff and Landing ‘Attack Drone’

Korean Air has been enhancing its accumulated technology in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sector and, to secure a leading position in the future stealth UAV market, opened the Next-Generation Stealth UAV Development Center in Daejeon last June.

Korean Air also focused on drones. The drones introduced by Korean Air are two types: ‘KUS-SX’ and ‘KUS-VX.’ The KUS-SX is nicknamed the ‘Korean Harpy.’ The Harpy is an unmanned aerial vehicle that flies in the air and self-destructs upon detecting enemy radar signals. Korean Air equipped the existing Harpy with an electronic warfare jamming device tracking drone. It can attack tanks and vehicles. The attack drone KUS-VX is capable of vertical takeoff and landing. It has four hybrid engine propellers on two pairs of wings. The KUS-VX has a mission payload of 700 kg, a cruising altitude of over 5 km, and a range exceeding 600 km. Korean Air is aiming for export by equipping the KUS-VX with anti-tank missiles.

The system for countering drones was also noteworthy. Hanwha Aerospace exhibited an anti-drone system. Hanwha’s anti-drone concept detects drones or other objects approaching up to 5 km ahead of friendly forces in urban areas using radar, identifies them with electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras within 3 km, and neutralizes them with a powerful radio frequency jamming attack called a ‘Jammer.’ Han Jong-hoon, head of Hanwha Systems’ C4I and Ground Systems Business Unit, explained, “If this is breached, within 2 to 3 km of the defense target, a ‘Drone Hunter’ is deployed to capture attacking drones with nets to prevent ground damage, and if that also fails, they are neutralized with ‘laser guns’ or similar means.”

At the ADEX venue, high-ranking officials from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia were observed attending. Dato’ Tengku Muhammad Fauzi, Malaysian Army Chief of Staff, said at the event, “Korea’s advanced defense and weapon systems are astonishing and enviable,” adding, “Compared to Western weapons, there is more interest in Korea’s advanced defense and weapon systems as an Asian country.”

Industry insiders unanimously stated, “To grow the domestic defense exhibition, the biennial ADEX exhibition should be merged with the Republic of Korea Defense Industry Exhibition (DX KOREA), which displays army weapon systems, and the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX), which displays naval weapon systems.” They emphasized the need to expand the exhibition scale to be counted among the world’s top three air shows. Currently, the world’s top three defense exhibitions are the Singapore Airshow, the Paris Air Show in France, and the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom.

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