The Defense Ministry stated that the recent drone technology demonstration, where some civilian drones crashed, is part of the "process for developing better technology." The ministry emphasized its commitment to continuously provide opportunities by opening military training grounds.
During a regular briefing on September 17, Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na explained the results of the '2026 Defense Drone Technology Exhibition' held the previous day, noting that "out of 17 demonstrations, 11 were successful, particularly all drones operated by the Defense Ministry and military succeeded."
Regarding the failures of some civilian products, she suggested that "civilian companies primarily use civilian frequencies, so it is presumed that frequency interference occurred on-site." However, she added that since the event was intended for practical verification of civilian technology, "the military training ground was opened, and no separate investigation into the causes will be conducted."
The event, held on September 16 at the Seungjin Training Center in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, was chaired by the Defense Minister and attended by over 1,500 participants, including civilian and military experts, key military commanders, and overseas defense industry representatives. This was the first event of its kind this year aimed at testing and verifying civilian drone technology in a real military environment, but some drones developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), LIG, and Ned Solutions crashed shortly after takeoff or failed to operate normally during the demonstration.
The Defense Ministry underscored that such failures are common in the process of developing new technologies and reiterated its intention to continue supporting the verification and advancement of civilian defense technologies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.