South Korea mulls deploying suicide drones to battalion-level units

The South Korean Army is considering deploying "suicide drones" to battalion-level units amid a push for modernization, Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha said at a media briefing Wednesday that the army is assessing whether to deploy suicide and reconnaissance drones at the battalion level and below in a timely manner.

"Drones are going to be like personal firearms from now on," he said. "All combatants have personal firearms, right? That's how freely operable (drones) should become."

The army also plans to introduce about 11,000 training drones this year and deploy more than 50,000 operational drones by 2029. The plan aims to provide one training drone per squad.

"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.

The Army TIGER initiative aims to equip units with manned-unmanned combat systems for multi-domain operations, with a goal of transforming the entire force by 2040.

Last year, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back unveiled plans to train 500,000 "drone warriors," calling unmanned systems a "game changer" in modern warfare. The goal is to train all conscripts in drone operations.

He also announced plans this month to reduce troop numbers at border units by replacing them with AI-powered surveillance systems.