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Navy eyes using commercial drones for military operations

Published: 14 May. 2025, 14:42

The Navy conducts a test in waters off Ulsan to verify the feasibility of using commercial drones for military operations, in this photo provided on May 14. [YONHAP]

The Navy has launched a test to assess the feasibility of using commercial drones and unmanned ships for military operations for the first time, officials said Wednesday, amid growing demand for cost-effective weapons in modern warfare.

The test kicked off at a research center in Ulsan on Monday for a five-day run to verify the potential of deploying commercial unmanned systems in a contingency, according to the Navy.

The Navy mobilized three unmanned surface ships, 10 drones and a civilian boat for the test aimed at verifying ways to use commercial assets for reconnaissance activities, attack operations on enemy assets and logistics support.

Among the mobilized drones were a fixed-wing drone used for deep-sea fishing to track tuna schools, a multirotor drone usually used for logistics transportation and a cardboard drone that can be used as a loitering munition, the Navy said.

The armed service said it plans to continue to explore ways to incorporate commercial unmanned assets for peacetime and wartime military operations.

Yonhap