South Korea to become the first country in the world to deploy laser weapons to shoot down North Korean drones
South Korea’s defense acquisition program said on Thursday the country will deploy laser weapons to shoot down North Korean drones, becoming the first country in the world to deploy and operate such weapons in the military.
Southern Korea calls its laser program the Star Wars Project.
According to the administration, the drone-destroying laser weapons developed by the South Korean military with Hanwha Aerospace are effective and low-cost, costing 2,000 won ($1.45) each, while being invisible and making no sound.
“Our country will become the first country in the world to deploy and operate laser weapons, and our military’s capabilities to deal with the provocation of North Korean drones will be strengthened,” the administration said.
These weapons will be a game-changer on the battlefield in the future.
A spokesman for the department explained at a news conference that laser weapons shoot down drones in flight by burning motors or other electrical equipment in drones with light beams for 10 to 20 seconds.
Five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea, technically at war, in December prompting Seoul to launch fighter jets and attack helicopters to try to shoot them down, the first such violation since 2017.
The fighting in the Korean War (1950-1953) ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, and with the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.
