S. Korean Army eyes drones as personal weapons for future troops

The South Korean Army envisions drones becoming as common as personal firearms for its troops, Army Chief of Staff General Kim Gyu-ha said on April 29, as the military moves to train personnel to operate uncrewed systems across battlefield roles.

“Drones should be considered personal firearms in the future,” Gen Kim said during a policy briefing at Army headquarters in Gyeryongdae, South Chungcheong Province. “There are drones for surveillance, reconnaissance, strikes and sustainment support, and combat personnel must be able to use them freely.”

The remarks come as the Ministry of National Defense pushes to train “500,000 drone warriors”, enabling service members to acquire basic drone operating skills and practical experience. The ministry has newly earmarked about 25 billion won (S$21.6 million) in 2026 for the initiative.

Under the plan, the Army aims to introduce more than 50,000 training drones by 2029, enough to provide one drone for each squad. Around 10,000 commercial training drones are expected to be brought into the military this year, according to Army officials.

The broader goal is to improve combat readiness by expanding drone literacy among troops while also supporting the domestic drone industry, as the military becomes a key source of demand for locally produced systems and core components.

The Army plans to incorporate drone operations across all echelons, from company-level units to brigades, divisions, corps and operational commands. While current drone use centers largely on perimeter security and training, the service aims to gradually field mission-specific drones for reconnaissance, strikes and one-way attack missions, with multiple functions eventually integrated into a single platform.

Gen Kim said the Army began laying the groundwork for such changes through its Army Tiger initiative, a modernisation program introduced in 2018 to prepare for the country’s shrinking military personnel by combining drones, robots, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.

“When we pursued Army Tiger in 2018 and set up the three major combat systems, we established concepts such as ‘dronebots’ and the Warrior Platform,” Gen Kim said. “Now the time is approaching when drone and robot policies suited to Korea can be technologically realised.”

He added that the Army expects such systems to become feasible between 2028 and 2032.

“It is true that our military’s technological progress on drones has been stagnant,” Gen Kim said. “But we have been preparing since 2018 through the dronebot policy, and the period of innovation is approaching. We expect visible results around 2028 to 2030.”

Major-General Lee Kyung-jin, head of the Army’s policy planning division, said the service is preparing for the drone push on multiple fronts, including force development, education and training, doctrine, organisational structure and maintenance support.

The effort remains in an early phase, focused on increasing exposure to drones and AI across the force rather than assigning drone roles to specific officers, noncommissioned officers or enlisted personnel.

The Army said the role of drones — whether for attack, defense, perimeter security or other missions — could vary depending on operational needs, with payloads and equipment configured accordingly.

The Army said it does not plan to create a separate drone branch, but instead aims to grant specialised qualifications to soldiers across existing branches.

“Whether infantry, armor or artillery, the goal is for anyone to build the ability to operate drones freely,” Maj-Gen Lee said.

The Army has been operating regional drone education centers since August 2025. These facilities are being used to build skills in drone operation, maintenance and production, including the use of 3D printers.

“We see this as a stage of increasing the Army’s exposure to AI and drones and building big data,” an Army official said.

The Army also said it is working to ensure interoperability with the US military.

According to the Army, the US 2nd Infantry Division recently visited the Army Information and Communications School to learn about the service’s drone-related systems, as South Korean and US forces work to align their drone operations and related systems.

The briefing also touched on the Army’s plan to reduce troops stationed along the general outpost line by using AI-based surveillance systems.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said earlier on April 8 that the military plans to build an AI-based scientific border surveillance system for front-line general outpost units facing North Korea and reduce the number of those troops from the current level of about 22,000 to 6,000.

Gen Kim said the plan builds on the scientific surveillance system that the Army has steadily introduced along the front line, with AI now being added through upgrades.

“When the scientific surveillance system was first introduced, AI was not part of the concept,” Gen Kim said. “But as the system is upgraded, we have reached a technological level where AI can be incorporated.”

He said an AI-based surveillance system would be able to recognise objects and distinguish between friendly and hostile forces in the event of a North Korean infiltration.

“There are concerns that reducing personnel could create a security vacuum, but that is not the case,” Gen Kim said. “We expect that an AI-based scientific surveillance system can be sufficiently established by 2040.”

The Army said it plans to establish pilot units under the Army Tiger Plus concept by 2027, before gradually introducing the model across the service.

As part of its response to troop shortages, the Army is also considering civilian participation in noncombat areas and the automation of administrative work, allowing soldiers to focus more on combat missions. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK