North Korea Attempts to Down South Korean Modern Drone with Old KS-19 Anti-Aircraft Guns.

On October 13, 2024, according to Yonhap, North Korea ordered its artillery units, including eight brigades stationed near the South Korean border, to be on high alert and prepared to engage in response to alleged South Korean drone incursions over Pyongyang. North Korea’s General Staff directed these brigades, which reportedly include older KS-19 100mm anti-aircraft guns, to be fully armed and set in wartime configuration. Pyongyang accused South Korea of flying drones over its capital multiple times earlier in the month. In a statement, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry warned that any further incursions would be met with a military response, describing such actions as “acts of war.”
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

South Korea RQ-101 Songgolmae fixed-wing UAV from Korea Aerospace Industries  (Picture source: Wikimedia)

Meanwhile, South Korea denied any airspace violations, condemning North Korea's recent use of propaganda balloons and waste-filled devices across the border, which South Korea views as provocations disrupting the security of its border regions. This exchange of accusations has intensified tensions along the Demilitarized Zone, with both countries expanding their military drone programs. While North Korea has made drone development a strategic priority, recently unveiling a suicide attack drone, South Korea is preparing to counter potential escalations with its own advancements in drone technology.

The South Korean military employs a variety of High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) and Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) drones for surveillance and reconnaissance, primarily to monitor North Korean military activities and potential security threats. These drones play a critical role in enhancing South Korea’s border surveillance, maritime monitoring, and intelligence capabilities. Among the HALE assets is the RQ-4 Global Hawk, capable of operating at high altitudes for extended periods, providing broad-area coverage with real-time intelligence over long distances. For medium-altitude operations, South Korea utilizes MALE drones such as the KUS-FT, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries.

The RQ-101 Songgolmae is a fixed-wing UAV designed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) primarily for reconnaissance. With a wingspan of 6.4 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of 290 kg, it has a range of up to 200 km and an endurance of approximately 6 hours. This drone is equipped with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras and GPS/INS navigation systems, which allow it to gather high-resolution images and real-time intelligence over long distances. Operating at altitudes of up to 4,500 meters, the Songgolmae is especially useful for monitoring the heavily militarized border areas, giving South Korea crucial surveillance capabilities without risking personnel​.

South Korea, in collaboration with Boeing, is working on a new High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) drone development project designed to enhance its surveillance capabilities, particularly for monitoring North Korea. This initiative stems from a Memorandum of Understanding signed between South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Boeing in April 2023, aiming to build a South Korean-manufactured HALE UAV that benefits from Boeing's design expertise and technological support. The joint project intends to position South Korea at the forefront of advanced UAV production, with a focus on developing a model suited for long-endurance reconnaissance missions.

South Korea's Air Force operates RQ-4 Global Hawk drones, a high-altitude, long-endurance platform developed by Northrop Grumman. The RQ-4 operates at altitudes up to 60,000 feet with a range of over 12,000 miles, equipped with advanced radar and infrared sensors for long-range surveillance. It can remain airborne for over 30 hours, covering extensive areas and providing high-resolution imaging, making it a valuable tool for observing North Korea's military movements.

South Korea also uses KUS-FT drones, developed domestically by Korea Aerospace Industries. The KUS-FT operates at medium altitudes, up to 30,000 feet, with an endurance of around 24 hours. Equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors, it is designed for tactical reconnaissance and can conduct close monitoring along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), complementing the broader surveillance provided by HALE drones like the Global Hawk.

South Korea’s drones are tailored for intelligence-gathering missions that allow for extended coverage of North Korean activities, including potential missile launch sites, military movements, and cross-border provocations. By leveraging drones with high-definition imaging, infrared vision, and real-time data links, the South Korean military can maintain a continuous, low-profile surveillance presence. These capabilities reduce the need for manned flights, minimizing risk while maximizing reach and responsiveness.

Furthermore, United States operates RQ-4 Global Hawk drones in collaboration with South Korea to monitor North Korean activities across the Korean Peninsula. These high-altitude, long-endurance UAVs are stationed at Sacheon Air Base in South Gyeongsang Province, where they serve as a crucial part of South Korea's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) network. Delivered through a strategic partnership, four Global Hawks were supplied to South Korea's Air Force between 2019 and 2020, as part of a defense initiative to enhance South Korea’s monitoring capabilities against regional threats​.

The Global Hawk drones, designed by Northrop Grumman, are equipped with high-resolution synthetic aperture radar and electro-optical/infrared sensors, allowing them to capture detailed images of large areas, including North Korean military installations and missile sites. This UAV fleet is capable of covering up to 100,000 square kilometers in a single flight, which is approximately the size of South Korea, enabling comprehensive border surveillance and intelligence sharing between U.S. and South Korean forces​.

This collaboration not only enhances South Korea’s situational awareness along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) but also strengthens interoperability with U.S. forces, who are stationed in the region as part of a defense alliance. These joint efforts aim to maintain a high level of readiness against North Korean provocations, ensuring a rapid response to emerging threats in the region.

North Korea’s recent provocations include frequent missile tests and the development of drones, which serve both strategic deterrence and as direct responses to perceived threats from South Korea and the U.S. In 2023 alone, North Korea test-fired a variety of missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) like the Hwasong-15 and Hwasong-17, capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. The Hwasong-17, one of its most advanced ICBMs, is estimated to have a range of up to 15,000 kilometers and can potentially carry multiple warheads or countermeasures designed to evade missile defenses. This long-range capability adds to North Korea’s growing arsenal of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles that can target South Korea and U.S. bases in Japan. Additionally, North Korea has enhanced its maneuverable, solid-fueled missiles, which are more difficult to detect and intercept, posing a significant challenge to South Korean and U.S. missile defenses.

Beyond missiles, North Korea has also advanced its drone program, often utilizing these unmanned aerial systems as tools of psychological and military provocation. The North has deployed drones capable of surveillance and, potentially, small payloads. This was evident in recent incidents where North Korean drones allegedly crossed into South Korean airspace, heightening tensions on the peninsula. Combined with North Korea’s efforts to send balloons with propaganda and waste materials into the South, these drones add a new layer to Pyongyang’s tactics, aiming to provoke and destabilize without direct engagement, a strategy that allows it to maintain pressure on its adversaries while avoiding immediate military escalation. These provocations underscore North Korea’s commitment to demonstrating its military capabilities and maintaining a high-stakes environment in the region.

As a reminder on July 27, 2023, North Korea unveiled two new drones, the "Morning Star-4" and "Morning Star-9," which closely resemble the U.S.-designed MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk. These drones, categorized as High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) and Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE), are intended for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and ground-strike missions. Despite significant challenges posed by U.N. sanctions, North Korea appears to have made strides in replicating these advanced models, possibly influenced by prior incidents involving captured U.S. drones in Iran. However, questions remain about the drones’ actual capabilities and North Korea’s access to advanced SATCOM technology, sparking speculation of potential foreign assistance.

The capabilities of North Korean artillery brigades to shoot down South Korean surveillance drones are limited due to the anti-aircraft equipment available. North Korea primarily uses anti-aircraft guns like the ZU-23 23 mm and the KS-19 100 mm, which are designed to target low-flying aircraft rather than high-altitude drones. These systems lack the precision and tracking abilities needed to effectively engage modern MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) or HALE (High Altitude, Long Endurance) drones used by South Korea.

To intercept surveillance drones operating at higher altitudes, North Korea would require modern surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) with radar or infrared guidance, capable of tracking high-speed targets over long distances. Although North Korea possesses older SAMs, such as the Soviet-era SA-2 and SA-3, these systems are not sufficiently accurate to reliably target modern drones. Consequently, South Korean high-altitude drones remain less vulnerable to North Korea’s conventional artillery defenses.