A series of North Korean unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) activities inside DPRK airspace were observed by the South Korean government, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said during a regular press briefing held on Tuesday.
MND spokesperson Moon Sang-gyun said the South Korean military will destroy the drones with helicopters and Vulcan Cannons should they venture into the South’s airspace.
“We have been keeping an eye on continuing North Korean UAV activities in the North Korean region,” Moon added.
One South Korean media outlet reported the North’s UAVs were seen up to seven or eight times a day, saying the activity was part of a taking off and landing exercise.
Moon neither directly confirmed nor denied the details of the report, though did say that “such activities are present.”
The spokesperson added that South Korean forces are operating different layers of air surveillance systems to spot different kinds of drones, include those designed for combat activities.
“If they cross (into the South) we have anti-aircraft weapons such as helicopters or Vulcan Cannons to take them down,” the spokesperson added.
One military expert indicated that how best to defend against North Korean drones was contingent on their size.
“If the North Korean UAV is as big as a Global Hawk, jets will be effective to take it down,” a military adviser working between South Korea and international authorities told NK News.
“However, if they are as small and simple as the ones from 2014, using helicopters – as the MND said – to visually identify and destroy them would still be the most suitable choice for us.”
Another researcher said finding ways to take down UAVs as quickly as possible is a pressing national security concern.
“In the worst case scenario, the UAVs can be equipped with biological weapons. Such small UAVs are hard to detect and it’s difficult to predict their path, so finding the fastest method to take them down as soon as they are spotted is needed,” Kim Tae-hoon, the chief of the Special Disaster Prevention Center told NK News.
About two months ago, a North Korean UAV flew over South Korean air-space near Dorasan Observatory, a South Korean observation tower built near the North.
During the incident, South Korean military forces fired approximately 20 machine gun rounds to repel the UAV, which later returned to North Korea.
Photo: North Korean drone at 727 parade, 2013
Source: NK News