politics
South Korea plans to train entire military as "drone warriors"
Half-million strong military will train on drones as “universal combat tool.”
TL;DR
- South Korea plans to train all 500,000 military personnel to operate drones.
- Drones are intended to become a "universal combat tool" for every soldier.
- The initiative is inspired by the use of drones in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
- South Korea aims to maintain a technological edge against North Korea's larger military.
- Challenges include a shrinking military due to low birth rates and the exclusion of women from mandatory service.
- There's a need to procure drones with 100% domestically produced components due to security concerns regarding China.
- The country may struggle to find enough commercial drones without Chinese components for training.
- Ukraine's drone warfare success is attributed to specialized teams, a dedicated drone branch, a digital battle management system, and a robust domestic drone industry.