Electromagnetic Pulse Against UAV’s

Electromagnetic Pulse Against UAV’s

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According to South Korean military officials, the country has been developing a technology to bring down unmanned North Korean aircraft using electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has developed a directional, high-powered EMP generator, and it has been trying to devise ways to implement it against small North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles.

An EMP occurs when a nuclear device is detonated at a high altitude, potentially damaging the power grid and rendering most electronic devices useless.

According to yonhapnews, the ADD is studying unmanned aircraft’s potential weaknesses against EMP. The EMP generator and its potential defense against drones were presented during a conference hosted by the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology recently. The ADD is also preparing for research on neutralizing North Korean UAVs with other technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence to detect and track drones.

In addition, the ADD and the national defense industry are considering developing GPS jamming technology and small guided rockets to crash unmanned planes.

North Korean UAVs have emerged as new threats over the recent years. During August, South Korea detected but failed to bring down North Korean UAVs that crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) five times.