The South Korean military conducted a maritime combat experiment in August for a domestically developed kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle , but both launch attempts failed. Amid drones becoming central to modern warfare, the domestically produced kamikaze drone is expected to require a significant amount of time before it can be deployed in actual combat.
The Navy and the Agency for Defence Development (ADD) conducted a maritime operational experiment for a domestically developed medium-sized kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle on the 25th aboard the large transport ship Marado, located in the southern seas. The experiment involved a kamikaze drone launched from a launcher installed on the flight deck of the Marado ship attempting to strike an unmanned target vessel navigating rapidly at a distance of approximately 2 km.
However, the first drone launched in the afternoon on that day crashed into the sea after approximately 2 seconds, and the second drone crashed after about 4 seconds. This has put the drone project, which aimed to be completed by next month, in a critical situation. According to reports, there were no issues in approximately 30 experiments conducted on land prior to this. A source from the Agency for Defence Development stated, “The misalignment between the aircraft and the launcher in the maritime environment could be the cause,” while also noting that further analysis is necessary.
Although the experiment aimed to hit an unmanned target at about 2 km, the drone crashes into the sea immediately after takeoff, photo /Newsis
Domestic major defence companies, including Korea Air, LIG, and Hanwha, participated in the development of this kamikaze drone. According to the defence industry, the price of the crashed prototype is known to be around 800 million Korean won ($600,000) per unit. A defence industry expert stated, “Even if mass production is achieved, it is estimated that the cost per unit will range from 100 million to 200 million Korean won ($75,000 – $150,000).”
The Iranian kamikaze drone ‘Shahed-136,’ which is similar in shape, is known to cost 30 million Korean won ($22,350), and the U.S. LUCAS is priced at around 50 million Korean won ($37,250).
Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back announced after taking office last year that he would train ‘500,000 drone warriors.’ Among this year’s defence budget, which exceeds 65 trillion Korean won, the budget related to drones was 178 billion Korean won (0.27%). The drone-related budget within the ‘defence improvement costs’ used for weapon development and procurement also decreased by 11.5% compared to last year’s 167.8 billion Korean won, amounting to 148.4 billion Korean won (0.74%) this year. Experts pointed out, “It is necessary to examine whether the military is keeping pace with the trends of modern warfare.”
Currently, the South Korean military’s forces capable of securing and utilizing kamikaze drones are known to be limited to some army demonstration units and special forces. In response to North Korean drones penetrating as far as Seoul’s airspace in 2022, the Yoon Suk-yeol government established the Drone Operations Command in September 2023. However, it has been reported that both the development of domestic drones and the procurement of foreign drones have been sluggish since then. The introduction of approximately 200 units of Poland’s kamikaze drone WB WarMate in 2024 was virtually the only attack (kamikaze) drone of the Drone Operations Command.
There are also concerns that South Korea, a ‘defence powerhouse,’ is particularly vulnerable in drone development due to a weak related industrial ecosystem. Since Chinese commercial drone parts are of good quality and inexpensive, domestic companies have little incentive to develop technology. Many domestically produced commercial drones have a localization rate of parts below 50%.
According to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport statistics, there were approximately 6,900 domestic drone businesses in 2025, but many were small enterprises with fewer than five employees and an average sales revenue of 170 million Korean won per business. Although large companies are also investing in the drone sector, the tendency is for development costs to rise since they must develop components in-house. Lee Il-woo, secretary-general of the Self-Reliant National Defense Network, stated,
“Since we have entered an era where war cannot be waged without drones, creating an independent ecosystem unaffected by foreign supply chains is key.”
The U.S. Department of Defence is pursuing the ‘Drone Dominance’ plan to stockpile 300,000 low-cost attack drones by the end of 2027. To rebuild a drone industry ecosystem centered on the U.S. and its allies, they have also introduced a system that provides ‘Blue UAS’ certification when Chinese-made products are not used for core components.
Top Photo: A kamikaze drone launches during a drone combat experiment conducted on Marado Island in the southern sea off Busan, as Navy and Agency for Defense Development (ADD) officials watch. /Kim Dong-hwan
Source: The Chosun Daily