



South Korea's defense authorities on Friday endorsed a plan to mass-produce medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) through 2028 to bolster the Air Force's surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the state arms procurement agency said.







The Defense Project Promotion Committee approved the plan in the latest progress in the country's 980 billion-won ($732 million) development project for the unmanned aircraft, which first began in 2006, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).







DAPA said it expects the aircraft to allow intelligence gathering and reconnaissance missions on targets deep inside North Korea, and provide the groundwork for the development of the country's unmanned aircraft projects.







It did not disclose the number of UAVs to be built under the project.







The committee also approved a basic plan for performance upgrades for the Navy's 1,800-ton KSS-II submarines by replacing their aging combat and sonar systems with the latest homegrown equipment.







The 800 billion-won project, set to run from 2025 through 2036, is expected to enhance the submarines' survivability and stealthiness, and strengthen their monitoring and deterrence capabilities against potential threats, DAPA said. (Yonhap)

