South Korea has announced a projected investment of £59.6 million to develop a weapon system that will detect and strike down strikes within its air space. The invested was prompted by recurring incidents of infiltration by North Korean spy drones.
The system, nicknamed Block-I, is designed to track and destroy small drones and other aircraft by locking invisible optical fiber razors on a target at close range. Additionally, a senior official at the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) said that the system would eventually be improved and developed to ultimately be capable of intercepting a fighter jet and satellite.
The anti-drone system is part of a South Korean drive to funnel resources into modernizing its military as it seeks to defuse tension with North Korea through talks. There have always been historical tensions between North and South Korea and as such the move to invest in the technology is in line with Seoul’s national security agenda and strategy.
