Korea swaps drone command for smaller agency focused on development, procurement

South Korea launched the Defense Drone Agency in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, shifting drone operations to the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps while focusing the new agency on development and procurement. The agency has 100 staff, down from about 280 at the former command, and will coordinate requirements, testing and equipment standardization. The ministry is pursuing legislation and a certification-based purchasing system to speed acquisition of commercially developed drones. The military plans to acquire more than 20,000 low-cost expendable drones.

The share of personnel at field-grade officer level or above will rise from 17 percent to more than 50 percent.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff will oversee integration of service-level drone operations into broader military operations and retain final authority over requirements.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration will remain responsible for drone purchases and contracts, while the new agency will support testing and certification.

The planned acquisitions include short-range reconnaissance drones and small suicide drones.

Published Nov 2, 2026 11:01 am KST

Updated Nov 2, 2026 3:00 pm KST

Experts question whether military grasps modern drone warfare

Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee, left, presents the unit flag to Kim Deuk-bong, chief of the Defense Drone Agency, during a ceremony marking its launch in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

South Korea has replaced its military drone operations command with a smaller agency focused on developing drone capabilities and speeding up procurement, shifting operational responsibilities to individual service branches.

The Ministry of National Defense held a ceremony Monday in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, to mark the launch of the Defense Drone Agency, which officially began operations Sunday.

The restructuring reduces the staff from about 280 at the former headquarters to 100 at the new agency, while increasing the proportion of personnel at the field-grade officer level or above from 17 percent to more than 50 percent. The new organization will focus on planning drone requirements, testing technology and helping the military acquire equipment more quickly.

Unlike the former Drone Operations Command, which conducted missions using its own units, the new agency will not command combat operations. Its operational units and assets are being transferred to the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Under the previous arrangement, the services primarily used drones for surveillance and reconnaissance, while the command concentrated on strikes. Each service will now handle both reconnaissance and strike missions, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff overseeing their integration into broader military operations.

Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said shifting drone operations to individual service branches made sense from a military perspective, but questioned whether the South Korean military had adequately learned the lessons of modern drone warfare.

“Drones clearly need to be operated at the different levels of the military,” Shin said. “But I question whether the South Korean military really understands modern drone warfare.”

He pointed to lessons from the wars in Ukraine and Iran, particularly the need to adapt drone and counter-drone tactics to modern combat.

“Drone strikes need to be integrated with other capabilities, including artillery and aircraft,” a defense ministry official said. “If drone operations are conducted separately, that integration becomes less effective.”

The official added that counter-drone operations also need to be integrated with existing air defense systems.

The ministry wants drones to become standard equipment across the armed forces rather than a capability concentrated in one command.

The new agency will draw on personnel experienced in drone operations, weapons planning and procurement. Its chief will retain the rank of major general, with the current drone operations commander serving as its first chief.

Despite its smaller size, the agency will coordinate drone development across the military. Individual services will continue to submit their own requirements, while the agency will review overlapping requests and work to standardize equipment and capabilities. The Joint Chiefs of Staff will retain final authority over requirements.

Soldiers from the Army's TIGER unit demonstrate a manned-unmanned combat system near Gyeryongdae, Sept. 21, 2023. Courtesy of Kookbang Ilbo

Another key priority is addressing persistent delays in bringing new technology into service.

“We see delays in fielding advanced capabilities such as drones and artificial intelligence as a serious problem,” a defense ministry official said, citing procedures required under existing defense procurement law.

“Expendable drones require a different approach,” the official said, referring to the need to acquire inexpensive equipment more quickly than conventional weapons.

The ministry is pursuing separate legislation and a purchasing system modeled on the U.S. Blue UAS program to speed up the adoption of commercially developed drones.

Under the proposed system, commercially available drones that meet military standards could be certified for faster procurement. The agency will support testing and certification, while the Defense Acquisition Program Administration will remain responsible for purchase and contracts.

Shin questioned whether the military’s procurement practices could support the new approach.

“North Korea is racing to acquire drones, but our procurement process takes far too long, and we keep trying to equip drones with expensive systems,” he said.

He also criticized the military’s counter-drone preparations, citing protective cages fitted to armored vehicles during exercises.

“They’ve barely covered the roofs with cages,” Shin said. “In Ukraine, they’re covering entire tanks and armored vehicles with protective structures, and even those are being destroyed.”

“The biggest problem is that the military doesn’t understand modern drone warfare or how drones should be acquired,” he added.

The restructuring also comes as the military seeks to respond to North Korea’s expanding drone threat and apply lessons from the war in Ukraine.

The military plans to acquire more than 20,000 low-cost expendable drones, including short-range reconnaissance and small suicide drones, as part of efforts to expand drone capabilities across the armed forces.

韩国周一在京畿道抱川市成立了国防无人机局，将无人机作战任务移交给陆军、空军和海军陆战队，而新成立的国防无人机局则专注于无人机的研发和采购。该局现有100名员工，比原先的无人机司令部约280名员工有所减少，其职责包括协调需求、测试和设备标准化工作。韩国国防部正在推进相关立法和认证采购制度，以加快采购商用无人机。军方计划采购超过2万架低成本的一次性无人机。

校级军官及以上级别人员的比例将从 17% 上升到 50% 以上。

参谋长联席会议将监督各军种无人机作战行动融入更广泛的军事行动，并保留对相关需求的最终决定权。

国防采办计划管理局将继续负责无人机的采购和合同，而新机构将支持测试和认证。

计划采购的装备包括短程侦察无人机和小型自杀式无人机。

发布于2026年11月2日上午11:01（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年11月2日下午3:00（韩国标准时间）

专家质疑军方是否掌握了现代无人机战争的要领

周一，在京畿道抱川市举行的无人机部队下水仪式上，韩国国防部副部长李斗熙（左）向国防无人机局局长金德峰赠送部队旗帜。图片由韩国国防部提供。

韩国已用一个规模较小的机构取代了原有的军事无人机作战司令部，该机构专注于发展无人机能力和加快采购速度，并将作战职责转移给各个军种。

韩国国防部周一在京畿道抱川市举行仪式，庆祝国防无人机局成立，该机构于周日正式开始运作。

此次重组将原总部约280名员工减少到新机构的100名，同时将校级及以上军官人员的比例从17%提高到50%以上。新机构将专注于无人机需求规划、技术测试以及协助军方更快地采购装备。

与此前使用自有部队执行任务的无人机作战司令部不同，新成立的机构将不再指挥作战行动。其作战部队和资产将移交给陆军、空军和海军陆战队。

在之前的安排下，各军种主要使用无人机进行监视和侦察，而联合司令部则专注于打击行动。现在，各军种将同时承担侦察和打击任务，参谋长联席会议将负责监督其与更广泛的军事行动的整合。

韩国国防安全论坛秘书长申钟宇表示，从军事角度来看，将无人机作战行动转移到各个军种是合理的，但他质疑韩国军队是否充分吸取了现代无人机战争的教训。

申先生表示：“无人机显然需要在军队的不同层级进行操作。但我怀疑韩国军方是否真正了解现代无人机战争。”

他指出乌克兰战争和伊朗战争的教训，特别是需要将无人机和反无人机战术应用于现代战争。

一位国防部官员表示：“无人机打击需要与其他作战能力相结合，包括火炮和飞机。如果无人机行动单独进行，这种结合的效果就会大打折扣。”

该官员补充说，反无人机行动也需要与现有的防空系统相结合。

该部希望无人机成为全军的标准装备，而不是集中在一个指挥部的能力。

新机构将吸纳在无人机作战、武器规划和采购方面经验丰富的人员。其负责人将保留少将军衔，现任无人机作战指挥官将担任首任负责人。

尽管规模较小，该机构仍将协调全军的无人机研发工作。各军种将继续提交各自的需求，而该机构将审查重复的需求，并致力于设备和能力的标准化。参谋长联席会议将保留对最终需求的决定权。

2023年9月21日，陆军“老虎”部队士兵在鸡龙台附近演示有人/无人协同作战系统。（图片由《国报》提供）

另一项重点工作是解决新技术投入使用过程中长期存在的延误问题。

国防部一名官员表示：“我们认为，无人机和人工智能等先进能力的部署延误是一个严重的问题。”他援引了现行国防采购法规定的程序。

“一次性无人机需要不同的方法，”这位官员说，他指的是需要比传统武器更快地获得廉价设备。

该部正在推进单独的立法和采购系统，该系统以美国的蓝色无人机系统计划为蓝本，以加快商用无人机的普及应用。

根据拟议的系统，符合军用标准的商用无人机可获得认证，从而加快采购速度。该机构将负责测试和认证工作，而国防采办计划管理局仍将负责采购和合同签订。

申质疑军方的采购做法是否能够支持这种新方法。

他说：“朝鲜正在竞相获取无人机，但我们的采购流程耗时太长，而且我们一直在尝试为无人机配备昂贵的系统。”

他还批评了军方的反无人机准备工作，并举例说，军方在演习期间给装甲车安装了防护笼。

“他们只是勉强用笼子盖住了屋顶，”申说道。“在乌克兰，他们用防护结构把整辆坦克和装甲车都罩了起来，但即便如此，这些防护结构还是被摧毁了。”

“最大的问题是军方不了解现代无人机战争，也不了解应该如何获取无人机，”他补充道。

此次重组也正值军方寻求应对朝鲜日益增长的无人机威胁，并吸取乌克兰战争的教训之际。

作为扩大武装部队无人机能力的举措之一，军方计划采购超过 20,000 架低成本的消耗性无人机，其中包括短程侦察无人机和小型自杀式无人机。