The calculus of warfare is changing. In the age of AI, the speed at which artificial intelligence can analyze the battlefield and support decision-making is becoming the decisive factor, rather than the size of troops or firepower. Drones are conducting surveillance, unmanned systems are carrying out missions, and AI is assisting commanders in their decisions, marking the dawn of the physical AI era. South Korea boasts a strong semiconductor and manufacturing sector, along with a globally recognized K-defense industry. The question now is whether AI can be integrated into this framework. At the forefront of this challenge is the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and its head, Lee Yong-cheol.
The history of warfare is evolving. In the past, the number of troops and weapons determined victory, while the industrial revolution shifted the focus to tanks, ships, fighter jets, and missiles. However, the AI era is different. Drones monitor the battlefield, AI analyzes data from satellites, radars, and various sensors, while unmanned vehicles and robots perform tasks in place of humans. Fighter jets and drones operate together, with AI supporting commanders' judgments. We have entered an era where artificial intelligence is integrated with real-world machines and weapons.
The global defense industry landscape is also shifting. The competition is moving from who can create the most powerful weapons to who can more rapidly integrate AI, semiconductors, drones, and robots into weapon systems. South Korea is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend, with its semiconductor industry, automotive, shipbuilding, and battery sectors, as well as its robotics and information communication technologies.
Additionally, South Korea has recognized K-defense products such as the K9 self-propelled howitzer, K2 tank, FA-50 light attack aircraft, and Cheongung-II, which are acknowledged in the global market. The next challenge is to combine K-defense with AI, with DAPA at the center of this effort. DAPA is not just a research institution for AI; it is an organization that transforms AI technology into actual weapons. Its role includes discovering technologies from the private sector and research institutions, developing them into weapon systems, testing and evaluating them for military deployment, and nurturing companies for export to the global market.
The ongoing war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East demonstrate that expensive tanks and fighter jets alone do not guarantee victory. Drones are monitoring the battlefield, AI is analyzing reconnaissance data, and AI-based command and control systems are processing vast amounts of information to support operational decisions. Data and AI are now at the heart of warfare. The South Korean military must also establish AI-based surveillance and reconnaissance systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned combat vehicles, and AI command and control systems, as well as integrated combat systems that include both manned and unmanned elements. However, mere technological research is insufficient.
These technologies must be developed into actual weapon systems that can be deployed in the field. This is DAPA's role, and countries that can rapidly transform good technologies into weapon systems are more likely to possess strong militaries and defense industries.
South Korea has a wealth of excellent AI technologies developed by universities, government-funded research institutions, large corporations, and startups. The challenge is that it often takes a long time for these technologies to be connected to actual weapon systems. The traditional process of determining military requirements, conducting research and development, testing and evaluation, mass production, and deployment can take over a decade. Given that AI technology can advance in months rather than years, relying solely on this method makes it difficult to compete. The task assigned to Lee Yong-cheol is clear.
He must quickly identify outstanding private sector technologies, allow the military to use them, and rapidly iterate the process of improving and reusing these technologies. In the defense industry of the AI era, competitiveness will stem from speed.
South Korea is a global manufacturing powerhouse, producing semiconductors, automobiles, ships, fighter jets, tanks, self-propelled howitzers, robots, and batteries. This industrial base can become a significant competitive advantage in the AI defense era, as AI weapon systems require not only AI but also semiconductors, sensors, communication technologies, batteries, and precision manufacturing capabilities.
By integrating AI into tanks, ships, and fighter jets, and connecting drones and robots, South Korea can evolve from a country that excels at producing individual weapons to one that creates intelligent weapon systems connected by AI. The next competitive edge for K-defense lies in AI and semiconductors.
National defense is one of the fields where physical AI can spread the fastest. Examples include unmanned combat vehicles, AI drones, autonomous military vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned submarines, as well as AI-integrated surveillance and reconnaissance systems. Merely having good AI models is not enough to become a physical AI powerhouse; there must be physical entities—vehicles, robots, ships, and aircraft—for AI to operate. South Korea already has this manufacturing base, making the combination of AI, manufacturing, and K-defense a potential new engine for national growth.
While creating perfect weapons is important, speed is equally crucial in the AI era. If a weapon takes ten years to develop, it may be outdated by the time it is completed. This is why rapid acquisition systems are essential. There is a need for a process that quickly identifies private sector technologies, creates prototypes for military use, improves performance, and rapidly scales up once effectiveness is proven.
In the AI era, the competitiveness of weapon development depends more on how quickly one can develop, validate, and improve than on how perfect the initial plan is.
South Korea's excellent AI technologies are not limited to large corporations. Many startups possess capabilities in video analysis, autonomous driving, robotics, drones, cybersecurity, and quantum technology. However, the defense market has high entry barriers, making it difficult for small companies to enter independently. This structure must change in the AI era. A growth ladder is needed that allows good technologies to be discovered, used and validated by the military, and then applied to weapon systems for entry into the global market, fostering an open ecosystem where established defense giants collaborate with AI startups.
If the manufacturing capabilities of major defense companies like Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem, Korea Aerospace Industries, and LIG Nex1 are combined with the technological innovation of startups, competitiveness can be significantly enhanced. DAPA must evolve from merely managing companies to becoming a platform that connects businesses, technologies, the military, and the market.
AI weapon systems are perfected through field use. The entire South Korean military can become a vast proving ground for AI defense technologies, from the Army's AI drones and the Navy's unmanned surface vessels to the Air Force's integrated combat systems and the Marine Corps' AI surveillance systems, as well as AI applications in logistics and maintenance. Successful technologies will be expanded within the military, and defense companies will commercialize them for export to the global market. This will create a seamless connection between defense demand, industrial development, and defense exports.
The competitiveness of K-defense 1.0, symbolized by the K9 self-propelled howitzer, K2 tank, FA-50, and Cheongung-II, was based on price, quality, delivery time, and customization capabilities. However, the global defense market is changing again. AI drones, unmanned combat systems, AI command and control systems, autonomous military vehicles, and AI surveillance and reconnaissance systems are the future export products. K-defense 2.0 must evolve from selling individual weapons to exporting integrated combat systems connected by AI and data.
AI can also transform the defense acquisition process itself. By analyzing the vast data accumulated at DAPA, AI can enhance productivity in cost analysis, risk detection, contract and regulation review, and schedule management. Creating AI weapons is just as important as establishing an AI-driven DAPA.
Protecting technology must also be a priority. As K-defense exports and international collaborations increase, the risks of technology leakage and cyberattacks grow. Data protection, algorithm security, and supply chain management are essential. Additionally, ethical and legal issues must be addressed, such as accountability when AI misidentifies targets, the decision-making scope of autonomous weapon systems, and the validation of AI decision processes.
It is crucial to uphold the principle that while AI supports human judgment, the ultimate responsibility for life and safety lies with humans. The integration of AI into the defense sector can also create new opportunities for regional economies in areas like Changwon, Sacheon, Gumi, Daejeon, and Nonsan-Gyeongju, leading to youth employment and the development of local industries.
The task assigned to Lee Yong-cheol goes beyond developing and procuring good weapons; it involves designing a new defense industry for South Korea that aligns with the AI era. This includes transitioning AI from the laboratory to the battlefield, integrating civilian technologies into weapon systems, bringing startups into the defense market, and positioning K-defense in the global AI defense market. This is the path to making South Korea the world's leading AI defense powerhouse.
:Lee Yong-cheol, Head of DAPA:
He has experience in both administrative and defense sectors. He has accumulated policy coordination and administrative experience in key government positions and is leading innovations in the defense industry, improvements in weapon acquisition systems, and enhancements in K-defense competitiveness as the head of DAPA amid rapidly changing security environments.
His task is to swiftly apply AI, semiconductors, drones, and unmanned systems to weapon systems, combining civilian technology and manufacturing competitiveness with K-defense to create a growth ladder that exports AI weapon systems validated in South Korea to the global market.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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