Korean Defense Drone Development Stalled by Single Test Facility

At a drone exhibition in late February, a drone business division head at a major Korean conglomerate said, "These days, waiting in line is nerve-wracking." The line he refers to is not at a famous restaurant or a shop selling the popular dessert "Dujjoenku." What keeps him anxious is the airfield where military drones can be flown. Even if a company wants to use an airfield immediately, it must submit an application and wait at least one month—sometimes two to three months—before actually flying a drone. Test items pile up while companies wait for months, causing frustration.

Why must they wait months just to fly a drone once? The reason is that there is only one place in Korea where military drones can be flown. Testing drones for military operations requires an environment with a runway longer than 1 kilometer and airspace spanning tens of kilometers. Although Korea has several drone airfields, the National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, is the only one meeting these requirements. With just one suitable facility nationwide, bottlenecks are inevitable. If rain or snow falls on a long-awaited flight day, a company's months of demonstration preparation goes to waste.

This cannot be dismissed merely as corporate complaints. As the Russia-Ukraine war and recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran have shown, drones have transformed the landscape of modern warfare. The Korean government recognizes this trend. The Ministry of National Defense has set a goal of training 500,000 drone warriors and emphasizes building combat systems utilizing drones. Reading these messages alone, the government's commitment to fostering the drone industry appears firm. However, as the airfield shortage demonstrates, infrastructure to support private companies' military drone research and development remains inadequate. Even after completing aircraft development through numerous difficulties, companies must use military airfields to mount ammunition and conduct operational flights, requiring additional lengthy waits. Policy slogans that set targets without addressing these problems are nothing but empty rhetoric.

Korea entered military drone development later than the United States and China. Industry insiders worry that being months behind in test flights as a latecomer will further widen the technology gap. Although conditions are challenging, Korean companies' passion to overtake global leaders in technological competition remains undiminished. Now is the time for the government to roll up its sleeves so that private sector determination can spread its wings.