(Yonhap Feature) S. Korea puts focus on lasers to take out N. Korean drones

A small multi-rotor drone hovered over the waters off a western coastal town, flying just a kilometer away from what appeared to be an imposing dark-green container installed at a major weapons test site. Within seconds, flames suddenly ignited on the unmanned aircraft, as it shook uncontrollably and plummeted 20 meters onto a rooftop of a seaboard building with a loud thump. On Tuesday, the state arms agency demonstrated the strike capabilities of the country's newly developed laser weapon designed to take down enemy drones for a group of reporters for the first time. In all three live-fire demonstrations at the test site in Taean County, 108 kilometers southwest of Seoul, the weapon system, similar in size to a shipping container, successfully downed targets with an invisible directed-energy beam. In a stark contrast to sleek, sci-fi laser weapons seen in movies, the fixed steel block, operated by three people inside, did not fire colorful beams of light or produce any sound. But its strike capabilitie s were evident as the DJI Phantom 4s crashed helplessly after being struck by the laser. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced earlier this month that South Korea would mass produce the laser system to begin deployment this year. Then, the country will join a small group of countries pushing to operate laser weapons, such as the United States, Israel and Britain. The system uses a laser beam generated using fiber optics and heats up target surfaces to temperatures of over 700 C to disable internal components, such as batteries, according to DAPA. Officials declined to offer exact specifications of the weapon but said that it has an output of less than 100 kilowatts and a range of less than 10 kilometers. Seo Yong-seok, a chief principal researcher at the Agency for Defense Development, told reporters that the system has reached an output of 30 kilowatts during testing, making it capable of striking down drones but not rockets or artillery shells. South Korea's military has recen tly been redoubling efforts to advance counter-drone capabilities following a major border breach by five North Korean drones in late 2022. Despite the mobilization of fighter jets and helicopters, the military failed to shoot down any of the drones, including one that entered Seoul, exposing a lack of readiness to such incursions. South Korea has poured 87.1 billion won (US$63 million) into developing the laser weapon system since 2019, assessing it as being combat suitable in April last year. The country plans to spend 127.7 billion won through 2026 to mass produce an unspecified number of units. During the demonstration, Seo explained the system is mainly composed of target detection equipment made up of radar and optical sensors, a laser generator that internally combines multiple beams into one for a larger output, and a laser launcher that fires the single beam. As long as the system is plugged in, the weapon is able to conduct precision strikes once a target is detected, he said. DAPA has said a s ingle laser shot is expected to cost about 2,000 won, but Seo clarified that the figure is a rough estimate based on the output, which can vary. While touting the weapon's capabilities, the researcher also acknowledged inherent limitations of laser systems. "It is extremely sensitive to atmospheric conditions. Its performance worsens in severe weather," he said. During one of the demonstrations, the system failed to immediately identify and track the drone as clouds covered the skies, far surpassing the target time of just a few seconds. Seo blamed poor weather conditions for the delay. The system is also capable of only firing one beam at a time, making it unsuitable for situations where a large number of drones are deployed. The mass production also takes place amid renewed concerns over North Korea's aerial threats as Pyongyang has launched thousands of trash-carrying balloons across the border since late May. When asked whether the laser system could strike down such balloons, Seo declined to commen t. The military has so far decided against shooting down the balloons in midair as the intercepted debris could possibly lead to even more damage. South Korea plans to continue developing the laser weapon to improve its capabilities, such as making it mobile and have higher output. Research is under way for a new laser weapon with an output of 100 kilowatts to intercept rockets, artillery shells and mortars, Seo said. Source: Yonhap News Agency