Korea replaces drone command with smaller, specialized headquarters

South Korea has revamped its military drone operations, downsizing the command responsible for these activities and concentrating on enhancing drone capabilities, accelerating procurement, and streamlining the process. The Ministry of National Defense hosted a ceremony in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday to inaugurate the Defense Drone Headquarters, which commenced operations on Sunday.

This restructuring has trimmed the headquarters' workforce from approximately 280 personnel to 100, while simultaneously elevating the percentage of senior field-grade officers from 17 percent to over 50 percent. The new structure will prioritize planning drone requirements, evaluating technology, and expediting the acquisition of military equipment.

Unlike the previous Drone Operations Command, which undertook missions using its own units, the new headquarters will not oversee combat operations. The operational units and assets will be reassigned to the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Under the prior setup, the services predominantly employed drones for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes.