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Korea unveils homegrown drone equipped with advanced surveillance capabilities

Published: 08 Apr. 2026, 16:23

This undated photo, provided by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, shows a prototype of a medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle. [YONHAP]

The state arms procurement agency unveiled a medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (MUAV) equipped with advanced surveillance capabilities on Wednesday, as Korea seeks to strengthen its manned and unmanned systems to better respond to modern warfare.

An unveiling ceremony for the first delivery of the unmanned aircraft took place in the southeastern city of Busan, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The MUAV, on which development began in December 2023, is capable of conducting reconnaissance operations against key enemy command posts in real time through cameras and sensors.

It is the country's first unmanned aircraft built with nearly 90 percent homegrown components, according to DAPA. The MUAV was developed and produced by LIG Defense & Aerospace and Hanwha Systems under the guidance of DAPA and the state-run Agency for Defense Development.

The unmanned aircraft will undergo a final flight test by the Air Force before it is deployed for operations starting in 2027, DAPA said.

Yonhap