S.Korea to train 500,000 ‘drone warriors’ with 11,000 drones supplied to troops
Defense Ministry unveils ₩20.5 billion plan to expand drone training and designate the 36th Infantry Division as a testbed unit
South Korea’s military has launched an ambitious initiative to cultivate what it calls “500,000 drone warriors”, aiming to dramatically expand drone training across all service members.
On September 4, Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek announced the plan at the 36th Infantry Division in Wonju, Gangwon Province, where the Army officially designated the division as a “dedicated test unit for small and counter-drone operations.”
The core of the program is the large-scale introduction of domestically produced commercial drones, enabling all troops to acquire drone piloting skills during their service. The Defense Ministry has earmarked ₩20.5 billion (about USD 15 million) in next year’s defense budget to support the initiative.
Of that amount, ₩19 billion will fund the purchase of more than 11,000 low-cost, expendable training drones to be distributed at a ratio of at least one per squad across the Army’s standing units and training institutions. An additional ₩1.4 billion will be allocated to train specialized drone instructors.
The military also plans to utilize idle facilities on bases to build drone training zones, providing soldiers with more opportunities to gain practical flying experience.
The 36th Infantry Division will serve as a dedicated testbed, validating the effectiveness of civilian drone technology in combat-like environments. Soldiers will directly operate advanced drones to develop new doctrines and tactics for both offensive and defensive operations.
Minister Ahn emphasized that the initiative will not only strengthen the military’s drone capabilities but also give individual soldiers marketable skills for civilian careers:
“We must ensure our troops can carry their drone experience into the private sector, helping to boost Korea’s drone industry ecosystem,” he said.
The Defense Ministry views this program as a stepping stone toward making unmanned aerial systems a core element of future warfare, while simultaneously contributing to the domestic drone industry’s growth.