South Korea says it plans to broaden the laser program to hit bigger targets, together with plane and ballistic missiles.
South Korea plans to mass-produce laser weapons that may shoot down drones deployed by North Korea at low price, in accordance with its navy procurement company.
The Protection Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) introduced the laser program, dubbed “Mission Star Wars,” which has been developed with Hanwha Aerospace.
The Block-I, the primary laser system, “can be put into operational service within the military this yr,” Lee Sang-yoon, head of DAPA, advised the AFP information company on Friday.
In line with the group that bought it, the laser can be invisible and silent, powered solely by electrical energy with out the necessity for extra ammunition, and value solely about 2,000 gained ($1.45) per shot. It can supposedly soften the physique of drones and burn out inside digital elements.
“Seoul’s potential to answer North Korea’s drone provocations can be considerably enhanced” due to the brand new weapons system, which has shot down all of its targets in exams, DAPA stated in a press release on Thursday.
The group has additionally stated it plans to broaden the laser program sooner or later to have the ability to hit a lot bigger targets, together with plane and ballistic missiles, which could possibly be a “paradigm shift.” It even envisions lasers touring by means of area to hit targets.
The system has but for use in real-life eventualities, but it surely comes at a time when low-cost drones are dominating lively battlefields world wide, together with Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, together with Israel’s warfare in Gaza and border preventing with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
As varied unmanned weapons programs are developed and deployed in fight, protection programs have been in a position to counter a few of them, however at a a lot greater price. In concept, laser programs might provide a extra sustainable countermeasure.
South Korea joins the ranks of the US, Britain and China amongst nations racing to develop and deploy laser weapons to shoot down aerial threats.
The 2 Koreas are nonetheless technically at warfare since their 1950-53 battle resulted in an armistice and a demilitarized zone, not a peace treaty.
In December 2022, South Korea stated it had deployed fighter jets and helicopters after detecting 5 drones launched by North Korea getting into its airspace, however didn’t shoot down any of them.
Tensions have been steadily rising between the 2 this yr, with South Korea fully suspending a 2018 navy settlement in June and North Korea sending garbage-filled balloons throughout the border.