South Korea Trains Half a Million Drone Soldiers
South Korea's Ambitious Drone Training Initiative The South Korean Ministry of National Defense has announced an ambitious plan to train "500,000 drone warriors" by enhancing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) education for military personnel. This initiative aims to improve the country’s drone operation capabilities by distributing educational drones to every army squad. The decision comes in response to the increasing importance of drone operations observed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, the project faces criticism, as previous efforts to develop unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and multipurpose unmanned vehicles have struggled to gain momentum. Meanwhile, neighboring countries like China are intensifying their efforts to expand their own unmanned forces. During a ceremony held at the 36th Infantry Division in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back unveiled the 500,000 drone warrior training plan. The ministry plans to introduce 11,000 small ...