South Korea eyes Polish suicide drones as North's UAV threat rises

South Korea's military began this year the process of acquiring hundreds of Polish-made self-destructing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), otherwise known as suicide drones.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, is seen during an on-site overview of the Academy of National Defense Science on Aug. 26. [YONHAP]

South Korea's military began this year the process of acquiring hundreds of Polish-made self-destructing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), otherwise known as suicide drones.

The move comes in response to North Korea's recent announcement of its intention to mass-produce suicide drones to use against South Korea.

Although the Polish products were not explicitly specified, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) received a request to purchase the suicide drones late last month, South Korean military sources told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, on Tuesday.

“We are aiming to receive the delivery by the end of the year,” a military official said. “The specifications and level of field verification required by the military in the request letter are for Polish-made drones.”

“Polish-made drones have operated in several battlefield situations and have proven their performance,” said a Defense Ministry official. “The South Korean military is actively reviewing their use, considering that they can be introduced quickly with sufficient production capacity.”

The request letter to DAPA reportedly included a plan to purchase about 15 billion won ($11.2 million) in suicide drones, or slightly less than 200 units in total. However, military authorities explained that the scale and cost of the final delivery may vary depending on the contract conditions.

South Korea's accelerated purchase of suicide drones — with the goal of receiving them within the year — is related to North Korea's recent behavior. On Aug. 24, North Korea’s state-run media Rodong Sinmun reported Kim Jong-un’s on-site inspection of the Academy of National Defense Science’s institute on drones, revealing Pyongyang’s suicide drones for the first time.

The Rodong Sinmun report also detailed scenes of the suicide drones, which resemble Russian and Iranian-made drones, striking a mockup of South Korea's main battle tank, the K-2.

North Korea seems intent on using suicide drones as conventional weapons, such as artillery fire and ballistic missiles.

“There is internal consensus that we should also deploy suicide drones as soon as possible and present them as a symmetrical force to counter North Korea’s threats,” said a South Korean military official.

South Korean military authorities initially expected the deployment of suicide drones to take place after next year. In this regard, former Defense Minister Shin Won-sik discussed the introduction of Polish-made suicide drones during a meeting with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz held in Poland in June.

Additionally, in July, a delegation consisting of officials from the Defense Ministry, DAPA and the Drone Operations Command visited Poland to examine the performance of suicide drones and their suitability for the Korean battlefield.

The model believed to be under consideration is Poland’s small suicide drone, "Warmate." Ukraine used a Warmate drone to destroy a Russian mobile radar system in April, proving its battlefield effectiveness.

“Drones are game-changers on the battlefield that can destroy expensive equipment on the cheap and are now an indispensable force in modern warfare,” said a Defense Ministry official. “Our ministry and related agencies are pursuing various measures to enhance our drone power.”

BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG, LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]