Defense Drone Headquarters Reorganized as Policy Support Unit, Stripping Operational Command

Following the North Korean drone infiltration incident, the government has decided to rename the Drone Operations Command to the new "Defense Drone Headquarters." This reorganized entity will shed its direct operational execution functions and instead focus solely on supporting weapon development and procurement related to drones. The organization will be transformed into the Defense Drone Headquarters, responsible for overall policy. The Ministry of National Defense announced drone and counter-drone development policies at a briefing held on the 26th, presided over by Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyu-baek. This measure reflects internal military critiques suggesting the need to integrate drone deployment into various units in modern warfare, and criticism received after the 'Pyongyang drone' incident since the command's establishment in 2023.

The reorganized Defense Drone Headquarters will be established as a unit directly under the Ministry of National Defense, led by a director-general. It is planned to operate as a specialized organization dedicated to conceptual development in drone and counter-drone fields, identifying requirements, supporting procurement with each military branch, and collaborating with industry and other institutions. The Ministry of National Defense will transfer operational functions to each military branch.

The Ministry of National Defense plans to accelerate the deployment of Korean-type long-range suicide drones, rapidly procure over 20,000 low-cost, expendable drones, and secure next-generation drone capabilities such as artificial intelligence (AI) swarm drones. In the medium to long term, the ministry also intends to develop laser and high-power microwave weapons, as well as low-cost interceptor drones.

To enable all service members to utilize drones like 'a second personal weapon,' approximately 60,000 commercial training drones will be procured as part of a push to train 500,000 drone warriors. A differentiated rapid drone acquisition system will be established, including swift introduction of civilian technology and linking commercial drone certification with military use. The Ministry of National Defense is pursuing legislation to ensure flexible and rapid acquisition of advanced capabilities. The plan is to introduce a system where civilian technologies are demonstrated in the military and quickly adopted, or where commercial drones are certified for military use and deployed.