Tuna school detection drone taking off from a barge . (Image courtesy of the South Korean Navy)
ULSAN, May 15 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean Navy is exploring new frontiers in modern warfare by testing civilian drones and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) for potential military applications during a large-scale exercise conducted off the coast of Ulsan this week.
For five days starting May 12, the Navy launched its first training program focused on evaluating the combat readiness of commercial unmanned systems, including tuna-fishing drones, delivery quadcopters, and leisure-class uncrewed boats.
The drill comes amid growing interest in leveraging low-cost, mass-produced civilian technology in wartime scenarios.
A highlight of the exercise included a tuna-spotting drone — typically deployed over the South Pacific — soaring above Ulsan waters with a high-resolution EO/IR camera capable of up to 40x zoom.
Streaming live footage to a temporary Navy command center, the drone identified a simulated enemy vessel and zoomed in close enough to capture crew faces.
Suicide mission cardboard drone (Image provided by the Navy)
Another notable test involved a drone made of cardboard, launched by hand from the deck of the Navy’s autonomous test vessel Haeyang Nurihō.
The compact drone, with a flight time of up to an hour and speeds reaching 80 km/h, simulated a kamikaze-style strike, transmitting real-time video as it closed in on a mock enemy ship before safely ditching nearby. In combat, such drones could be outfitted with explosives for targeted suicide missions.
Commercial delivery drones also played key roles, carrying simulated bombs and logistics payloads, while multirotor craft executed mock resupply and strike missions. One six-rotor drone launched from a ship and dropped a 1.5-liter water bottle in place of a bomb before returning.
USVs were also included in the operation. A civilian-developed leisure yacht called Aura, weighing three tons and capable of reaching 70 km/h, mimicked a high-speed strike vessel. Fed coordinates by surveillance drones, Aura approached the target and simulated an attack run without actual contact.
Throughout the drill, real-time data and imagery from drones and vessels were transmitted to the command center, where the Navy assigned missions and analyzed performance.
The exercise marks a significant step in the Navy’s efforts to formalize plans for mobilizing civilian unmanned systems in both wartime and peacetime operations. Based on the results, the military plans to assess the viability of integrating commercially available drones and USVs into its broader mobilization strategy.
“Commercial unmanned systems that are low-cost, high-efficiency, and scalable could shape the outcome of modern warfare,” said Navy Colonel Park Sang-kyu, head of mobilization planning at Navy Headquarters. “We will continue refining our plans to incorporate these technologies into future operations and national defense contingencies.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
