"Any weapon with a person inside becomes a target. This is why the defense industry is focusing on unmanned systems recently."

On the 10th, at Hanwha Aerospace's R&D campus in Pangyo, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Choi Kyung-seok, the head of the Basic Technology Team at Hanwha Aerospace's Manned-Unmanned Complex Center, spoke about the recent mobilization of R&D capabilities in the defense industry towards artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned weapon systems. He explained, "We are analyzing how unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) have performed in operations, as well as their maintenance, charging, and refueling environments on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield." The company recently unveiled the tracked unmanned vehicle 'Themis-K'. By 2028, they plan to develop six types of unmanned vehicles to realize a 'soldierless battlefield.'

● The Disappearing Soldier on the Battlefield, AI Arrives

There is a reason South Korea is building an AI-based unmanned weapon system. According to the Ministry of National Defense, as of July this year, the size of the Korean military was 450,000, 50,000 fewer than the 'Maginot Line' of 500,000 needed for operational plans. The number of divisions at or above the division level has decreased from 59 to 42. Next month, the 28th Infantry Division of the Army will also be disbanded. By 2040, the number of troops is expected to shrink to a minimum of 270,000 and at most 350,000.

AI and unmanned weapons are the 'soldiers of the future' that will fight the enemy in place of the dwindling troops. The combat effectiveness of unmanned weapons such as drones has already been proven in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war. Particularly, as the 'naked face of the battlefield' where soldiers are sacrificed by unmanned weapons spreads through social network services (SNS), even countries without concerns about troop reductions are rapidly adopting AI-based unmanned weapon systems. China's participation of AI-based quadruped walking robot dogs in the military parade during the Victory Day celebrations in September is a representative example.

● K-Defense Embarks on AI-Based Unmanned Systems

The Korean military is also hastening the introduction of AI unmanned weapon systems. Hyundai Rotem's operational multi-legged walking robot dog, which has been piloted in some units since last year, is equipped with AI. It autonomously determines and finds routes once a destination is set. It also has 'cooperation' functions such as recognizing human hand signals and crawling or advancing. Currently, it is used in a limited capacity for reconnaissance, but performance improvements will add functions for searching for wounded soldiers or attacking.

Drones, which were once piloted by humans, now autonomously distinguish enemies. Hanwha is developing 'Cheonmu 3.0' by 2028, an AI-based missile that combines a suicide drone with the Cheonmu missile, a representative export product of K-Defense. The drone travels approximately 80 km on the missile, separates, and then autonomously identifies and strikes the enemy. The company also plans to fully automate the next-generation model of the self-propelled artillery K9, the 'K9A3'.

The core of Air Force modernization also lies in unmanned systems. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is developing 'K-Pilot', an AI pilot technology where unmanned aircraft autonomously fly at 200 km/h and avoid threats. It not only performs autonomous flights but also makes combat decisions. Korean Air is also developing the stealth low-observable unmanned wingman (LOWUS). It can be used for combat by loading weapons such as missiles and bombs in the armament compartment or carrying and dropping another small unmanned aircraft at the destination. The maiden flight is scheduled for the end of this year.

In the defense industry, there are calls to seize the development of such AI unmanned weapons as a new opportunity for K-Defense. Kim Ho-sung, a professor at the Advanced Defense Engineering Program at the National Changwon University, stated, "To achieve the goal of becoming one of the 'four major defense industry powers,' the defense export structure centered on conventional weapons must be reorganized to focus on advanced weapons such as AI, and the localization of key components like semiconductors and engines must be achieved."

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