South Korea shifts military focus from mortars to drones
South Korea, ranked as the fifth-strongest army in the world according to the Global Firepower 2024 rankings, plans to abandon its current use of mortars in favour of drones. In many situations, drones demonstrate greater potential and can more effectively weaken enemy forces. These plans draw from the Ukrainians' experiences in clashes with Russians.
South Korean media reported that these plans were already at the "final stage of approval," confirmed by the head of the local army staff, among others. All mortars of 60 mm and 81 mm calibre are to be withdrawn from service.
South Korea draws lessons from the war in Ukraine
The main argument against using such armaments is their limited range. A 60 mm mortar can hit targets up to about 3 km away, and the entire set weighs about 20 kg. An 81 mm mortar, on the other hand, can attack targets up to a maximum of 6 km away, but it is noticeably heavier, weighing around 40 kg per set.
Operating such weapons near the enemy is, therefore, very difficult. Remotely controlled drones, however, are quite the opposite. Seoul observed this in the clashes between Ukrainians and Russians. Moreover, they are aware that North Korea could quickly equip its armed forces with inexpensive and mass-produced drones.
This primarily concerns FPV (first-person view) drones, which are unmanned aircraft with a built-in camera providing a real-time live feed. They are used to drop ammunition on enemy equipment or for direct strikes on targets, acting as kamikaze weapons.
Weapons that proved their effectiveness
The war in Ukraine demonstrated that even small commercial drones can be suitably modified for military use. Refined military drones will be more expensive but can offer significantly better performance, and the South Korean army is likely to aim to adopt such designs.
It is worth noting that these are not the first reports suggesting that countries not directly involved in aiding Ukraine are closely monitoring the progress of its war with Russia. South Korea may reconsider the agreement to purchase American AH-64E Apache helicopters, as their experts highlight the aerial dominance of drones at the front and the vulnerability of Russian helicopters to MANPADS attacks.
Regarding changes related to mortars, Seoul emphasises that it does not plan to abandon larger weapons such as 120 mm and 107 mm calibre artillery.
