South Korea detects suspected North Korean UAV on border

The South Korean military discovered a suspected North Korean drone crashed near the border between the two countries.

The UAV was found in the mountains of Gangwon province. Photo: Reuters.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on June 9 that they had recovered an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a forest in Gangwon Province, near the eastern border. The UAV, likely belonging to North Korea, was discovered by local residents while climbing a mountain, Yonhap reported.

“It is expected to take about 10 days to analyze the UAV,” a South Korean military official said. On-site inspections showed it had a similar shape and size to the North Korean UAV that crashed on Baengnyeong Island in March 2014. It was 1.8 meters long, had a wingspan of 2.4 meters and was equipped with a camera.

A report by the Korea Institute for National Unification released earlier this year said North Korea is developing about 1,000 UAVs to compensate for air force limitations, enhance reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities.take provocative actions.

North Korean UAV crashed in South Korean territory in 2014

In 2014, South Korea discovered three drones believed to be North Korean crashed in the border area. The drones carried cameras and were believed to be used to spy on military facilities and the South Korean presidential office. Pyongyang denied Seoul's accusations that its drones had violated South Korean airspace.

These UAVs, although crude in design, have been able to penetrate the Korean air defense network in the border area. After the 2014 incident, South Korea began developing countermeasures against UAVs such as low-altitude radars and laser weapons. However, the anti-UAV laser weapons will not be completed until 2021.

South Korea said more and more North Korean UAVs were detected in the border area, at a frequency of about 7-8 per day.

According to VNE