The initiative reflects a broader shift across the military, as the Army, Navy and Air Force each move to build their own unmanned fleets. But a central question remains unresolved: who commands this expanding ecosystem of robots across land, sea and air.
Under Army Tiger 4.0, the future battlefield envisions “non-bleeding” robots moving first, with human soldiers positioned one step back. Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and drones are designed to scout, transport supplies and even fight on the front line.
A multipurpose UGV — with Hanwha Aerospace and Hyundai Rotem competing for selection as early as June — is a key pillar of the plan.
Progress so far had been limited. In a 2023 study, defense scholars Kim Dong-beom and Kim Ho-sung said autonomous efforts were still at the “demonstration and limited experimentation” stage and that “widespread fielding across multiple echelons has yet to be achieved.”
They added that turning Army Tiger 4.0 into routine practice “will require long-term force restructuring, sustained investment and iterative validation through exercises,” rather than one-off trials.
Structural issues compound the challenge. Jung Yeon-bong of the Institute for National Security Strategy pointed to “the absence of a real control tower,” as well as a continued reliance on “platform-by-platform procurement” and service-centric development.
A separate study by Baek Seoung-jin and Bae Hack-young of the Korea Association of Defense Industry Studies found that systems are still being developed in “separate stovepipes,” leaving doctrine and training “several steps behind the speed of technological change.”
At sea, the Navy is pursuing a similar transformation through its “Sea GHOST” program — a hybrid force combining crewed warships with unmanned surface vessels (USVs), underwater drones and aerial systems.
These systems are designed to take on high-risk missions such as mine clearance, surveillance and tracking enemy vessels. The long-term vision includes a “mothership” capable of controlling multiple unmanned platforms and eventually a dedicated unmanned command.
Development, however, remains fragmented. Different programs use incompatible software and data systems, making it difficult to operate them as a unified fleet — a recurring problem across services.
Companies including LIG Nex1, Hanwha Systems and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries are racing to develop combat-ready USVs, with deployment targeted in the 2030s.
In the air, the South Korean Air Force is placing unmanned systems at the core of future combat operations. The concept pairs manned jets such as the KF-21 Boramae with “loyal wingmen” — unmanned aircraft that can perform reconnaissance, electronic warfare and strike support.
The government is developing a “Korean-style MUM-T” architecture to enable this integration, targeting an open framework by 2028.
But the gap between concept and deployment remains significant. Researchers at the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement said current programs are still “in the phase of technology verification and concept demonstration.”
They warned that large-scale exercises combining manned and unmanned aircraft under realistic electronic-warfare conditions “have been very limited so far.”
A further constraint is operational: without secure communications networks — including beyond-5G links and low-Earth-orbit satellite relays — “AI-driven MUM-T and CJADC2 cannot function as intended in real war,” one defense expert said.
Across all domains, the same problem emerges — fragmentation.
Experts say South Korea lacks a unified command structure to coordinate unmanned systems development across the services. The result is parallel programs rather than an integrated force.
The experience of the Drone Operations Command underscores the issue. Established in 2023, it faced criticism for overlapping roles and limited effectiveness, leading to restructuring in early 2026 rather than expansion.
Some analysts argue that South Korea needs a smaller, joint unmanned task force capable of rapid experimentation — closer to models seen in Ukraine and the United States, where frontline units quickly adapt and scale technologies based on battlefield feedback.
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