Korean military tests, demonstrates capabilities days after North UAV raid

A full complement of military assets were brought to bear in a show of force and adaptability near Seoul Thursday, just days after the South Korean military failed to counter an incursion by five drones from the North.

Soldiers from the South Korean Army's V Corps operate an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon during anti-drone drills in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi on Thursday. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

A full complement of military assets were brought to bear in a show of force and adaptability near Seoul Thursday, just days after the South Korean military failed to counter an incursion by five drones from the North and just a day after President Yoon Suk-yeol upbraided top brass for ineffectiveness.

More than 20 manned and unmanned aircraft, including KA-1 fighters from the Air Force and AH-64 Apache and Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters from the Army, were mobilized for the maneuvers in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi. Detecting and tracking small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) under 2 meters (6.58 feet) in length was the objective, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The JCS said troops rehearsed shooting drone targets with a drone gun, also known as a jammer, mounted on MD 500 Defender helicopters. The drone gun was brought in for training and testing purposes, according to the military. The drills also featured practice with ground-based anti-aircraft weapons, including the 20-millimeter M61 Vulcan rotary cannon and a short-range surface-to-air Cheonma missile.

Although the military scrambled Air Force fighters, attack helicopters and other aircraft in an effort to intercept the drones on Monday, it failed to shoot down any of the invading aircraft, while one of the planes deployed, a KA-1 light attack aircraft, crashed in Hoengseong County in Gangwon at 11:39 a.m.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup addresses lawmakers during a meeting of the National Assembly's Defense Committee in Yeouido, western Seoul on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup apologized for the military’s botched response to the drone intrusion at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee on Wednesday, while reassuring the public that the military’s existing defense systems is “sufficient” to deal with armed drones, which he said typically need to be at least 5 meters in length to carry armaments.

Military officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to reporters described the situation on Monday as akin to “trying to catch flies with cannonballs,” with JCS Director of Operations Kang Shin-chul explaining on Tuesday the military is currently limited in its ability to intercept UAVs under three meters long. The North Korean drones were estimated to be 1.8 meters in length.

In a mid-term defense budget released Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said it will allocate 560 billion won ($441 million) over the next five years to establish various anti-drone projects, including a laser weapons system.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that in the future, it would aggressively mobilize strike assets, stage regular drills and integrate platforms capable of shooting down drones without causing damage to civilians in light of Monday’s drone incursions.

JCS Director of Public Affairs Col. Lee Seong-jun said at a press conference on Tuesday that the drones could not be fired upon when they were detected over populated areas, and that they were so small they would disappear from radar at times.

The Defense Ministry’s mid-term budget proposal aims to raise military spending by roughly 6.8 percent annually over the next five years, with a focus on acquiring detection and strike capabilities capable of “overwhelming” the North Korea’s rapidly advancing nuclear and missile arsenal should deterrence fail.

The ministry plans to spend a total of 331.4 trillion won from 2023 to 2027, earmarking 107.4 trillion won for improvements in defensive capabilities and the remaining 224 trillion won for managing troops, equipment and facilities.

According to the ministry’s blueprint, South Korea’s defense budget would increase from 54.6 trillion won this year to 57.1 trillion won next year, 61.4 trillion won in 2024, 66 trillion won in 2025, 70.9 trillion won in 2026 and 76 trillion won in 2027.

The changes envisaged by the budget proposal, which will require parliamentary approval, include the acquisition of more mid-size submarines armed with ballistic missiles and additional stealth fighters, additional reconnaissance satellites and early warning radar systems on Navy destroyers, and the deployment of both medium- and long-range missile defense systems.

The budget is aimed at bolstering the country’s "K-3" North deterrence strategy — the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system, the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan — to eliminate North Korea’s leadership in a major conflict.

Additional stealth jets would serve to enhance the South Korean military’s ability to conduct strikes against moving targets, while surface-to-surface missiles would be used to destroy targets sheltered in tunnels.

Submarines equipped with ballistic missiles would also enhance the military’s surprise strike capabilities.

In an effort to build a missile defense system that can detect threats from all directions, the ministry plans to upgrade all Navy destroyers already equipped with the Aegis Combat System to allow their radars to perform ballistic missile defense missions.

The Defense Ministry also plans to complete the rollout of Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missiles (M-SAM) and deploy some advanced long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) interception systems.

The ministry also seeks to secure core technologies required for the development a low-altitude missile defense (LAMD) system by 2026.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]