South Korea's defense ministry launched a new Defense Drone Headquarters in Pocheon on November 2, 2026, replacing the Drone Operations Command to set drone and counter-drone strategy across all armed services. The ministry said North Korea is accelerating drone development and recently tested simulated mass drone strikes on mock South Korean guard posts and US tanks.
South Korea's military plans to buy more than 20,000 low-cost combat drones and localize components such as batteries and motors to reduce reliance on China, a shift that touches defense procurement and supply chains.
South Korea's defense ministry launched a new Defense Drone Headquarters in Pocheon, about 40 kilometers north of Seoul, on November 2, 2026, Yonhap reported. Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee attended the ceremony, the ministry said.
The headquarters replaces the Drone Operations Command and will set drone and counter-drone strategy and oversee development of related systems across all armed services. The previous command focused mainly on executing drone operations. Individual service branches will take on drone and counter-drone combat and strike roles, while the Joint Chiefs of Staff will coordinate operations.
The launch follows a comprehensive unmanned systems development policy announced in June. The ministry said North Korea is accelerating drone development, drawing on lessons from its troop deployment in Russia's war against Ukraine, and conducted weapons tests in the prior week simulating mass drone strikes on mock South Korean guard posts and US tanks.
"We take North Korea's advancing drone capabilities and related threats very seriously, although evaluating drone power requires looking beyond mere performance to fully consider detection, identification, tracking and countermeasure systems," the ministry said.
South Korea is introducing a fast-track certification system modeled on the US Blue UAS program to preapprove commercial drones, and is working on localizing components such as batteries and motors to reduce reliance on China. "We are working to secure supply chains with allies and partners, including the United States," a ministry official told reporters in a background briefing on October 30.
The military plans to acquire more than 20,000 low-cost, expendable combat drones and accelerate deployment of the Korean Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, a program to domestically develop long-range loitering munitions including suicide drones.
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