South Korea has announced a plan to train all 500,000 soldiers in its armed forces to operate drones.
The announced 500,000 Drone Warriors program aims to provide each military unit with a training drone and equip appropriate training grounds at every military base, according to a report by Chosun Daily.
Next year, the country’s Ministry of Defense plans to acquire 11,000 small aerial vehicles, valued at 20.5 billion won (approximately US$14.7 million).
This will significantly expand training capacity, as the South Korean armed forces currently have only about 1,100 of these systems.
“Training 500,000 drone operators will strengthen our capabilities in operating unmanned systems and provide each soldier with the basic skills to contribute to the drone sector even after completing military service,” said Ahn Gyu-back, Minister of Defense.
The information aligns with a recent report from Militarnyi, which noted that South Korea is phasing out 60 mm and 81 mm mortars and replacing them with FPV drones.
This is part of the army’s modernization, considering the current combat operations experience being demonstrated on the battlefields in Ukraine.
Therefore, the newly launched 500,000 Drone Warriors program could serve as a solid foundation for retraining mortar units.
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