South Korea Plans to Train All 500,000 Active-Duty Troops as 'Drone Warriors'
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back announced on June 26 a sweeping military modernization plan to train all nearly 500,000 active-duty soldiers as 'drone warriors.' The initiative aims to make drones a 'second personal weapon' for every soldier, positioning unmanned systems as a universal combat tool across all branches of the armed forces.
Highlights
- South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back announced on June 26 a plan to train all nearly 500,000 active-duty soldiers as 'drone warriors.'
- The initiative designates drones as a 'second personal weapon' for every soldier, replacing the model of restricting drone operation to specialist units.
- The program is part of a broader military modernization drive that includes equipping units at all levels individually with drones.
- South Korea cites battlefield lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where commercial and military drones fundamentally changed modern warfare, as a key driver of the policy.
- Detailed training timelines and budget figures have not yet been disclosed by the South Korean government.
South Korea Plans to Train All Active-Duty Troops as 'Drone Warriors'
The South Korean government has announced an ambitious military modernization initiative to train all of its nearly 500,000 active-duty soldiers to proficiently operate drones, designating them as 'drone warriors.'
Drones as a 'Second Personal Weapon'
According to Reuters and multiple other media outlets, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back formally unveiled the plan at a press conference on June 26. He stated that the goal is for soldiers to operate drones as naturally as they handle their personal sidearms, positioning unmanned systems as a "universal combat tool" for all troops.
The core concept of the initiative is to make drones every soldier's "second personal weapon"—no longer limited to specialist units or technical personnel, but integrated across the entire military force.
Widespread Individual Drone Deployment
The announcement coincides with South Korea's broader military equipment upgrade program, which includes plans to individually equip units at all levels with drones. The move signals that Seoul is actively drawing lessons from the battlefield in Ukraine, where commercial and military drones have fundamentally transformed the nature of modern warfare.
Context: The Global Rise of Drone Warfare
Drones have played an increasingly decisive role in modern military conflicts in recent years. In the Russia-Ukraine war, both sides have deployed drones extensively for reconnaissance, precision strikes, and kamikaze-style attacks, establishing unmanned systems as an indispensable asset on the 21st-century battlefield. South Korea's large-scale training program reflects a broader trend of militaries worldwide adapting to this new reality.
The South Korean government has yet to disclose a detailed training timeline or budget, but the policy direction clearly signals Seoul's strong commitment to advancing defense technology capabilities and addressing potential security threats on the Korean Peninsula.
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