South Korea’s arms procurement agency announced on Thursday that the country will deploy laser weapons this year to counter the threat of unmanned drones from North Korea, making it the first country in the world to deploy and use such weapons in its military.
According to reports from Reuters, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated in a release that these laser weapons are both effective and cost-efficient, priced at 2,000 Korean won (approximately $1.45) per shot, and operate silently and invisibly.
“The Republic of Korea will become the first country in the world to deploy and use laser weapons. Our military’s capabilities to deal with North Korean unmanned drone provocations will be further strengthened,” said the DAPA spokesperson.
During a briefing, the spokesperson explained that laser weapons operate by emitting a beam for 10 to 20 seconds to destroy the engine or other electrical equipment of drones, thus bringing down unmanned aircraft in flight.
In December of last year, five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea, marking the first such invasion incident since 2017.
In another report by Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration stated on the 11th that they will start mass-producing the anti-drone laser weapon “Block-Ⅰ.”
“Block-Ⅰ” is the first project of South Korea’s “Star Wars plan” that applies lasers to weapons. The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration signed a mass production contract with Korea Aerospace Industries in June and expects to deliver and put it into operation within the year.
The South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration also mentioned that they will further develop Block-Ⅱ with increased power and range.
The RAND Corporation, a non-profit think tank based in the United States, stated that laser weapons are helpful in countering the proliferation of unmanned systems, as well as targeting missiles in flight or satellites in orbit. Therefore, many countries are actively developing and deploying laser weapons to keep up with this trend.