South Korea is one of many countries that’ve invested in unmanned weapons systems but, this year, it becomes the first nation to deploy the first-ever laser weapons system, christened the “Star Wars Project” or more officially, “Block-I,” in its military. Recently made official by the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), South Korea aims to expand the Star Wars laser‘s reach into space.
A Historic Moment in South Korean Defense
In July 2024, DAPA disclosed South Korea’s plans to mass produce laser weapons aimed at neutralizing the aerial threat of North Korean drones. The Star Wars Project was developed by Hanwha Aerospace and is, in part, a response to the growing hostilities between North and South Korea.
DAPA said the weapon fires invisible and silent shots and only operates on electricity. It doesn’t need any further ammunition and costs around $1.45 (2,000 won) per shot, making it a considerably cheaper automated weapons system compared to its other, more complex variations. Using fiber optic cables, it generates laser beams estimated at 700 degrees Celcius (1292 degrees Fahrenheit) that pierce through drone bodies, effectively neutralizing their engines.
DAPA official Lee Sang-yoon explained, “When a laser weapon transfers heat to a drone, its surface melts. As the surface melts, the internal components catch fire, causing the drone to eventually fall. This laser weapon uses electricity, so simply increasing the output allows it to travel at the speed of light.”
Reaching for The Heavens
According to DAPA, the Block-I lasers disabled 100 percent of their targets during testing, and received the go-ahead for military deployment in 2023. However, it doesn’t end with Block-I, as the organisation shared plans to expand the laser programme. In the future, we can expect the advent of an advanced version of Block-I—named Block-II—designed to neutralize larger targets, including ballistic missiles and aircraft.
And in time, DAPA envisions a laser system that deploys beams across space to reach targets. “Laser weapons can travel even farther in space where there is no air,” Sang-yoon explained. However, in light of the DAPA’s statements about Block-I, some experts feel the laser system’s capabilities still need further verification to determine if it is indeed practical for combat.
Among them is the Senior Researcher of the Korean Institute for Military Affairs Hong Sung-pyo, who also shared, “Laser weapons also have an operational range. While it may be possible to shoot down (North Korean) drones that come within this range, it is difficult to target those that are outside of it.”
Still, the “Star Wars Project” is a proud achievement for South Korean defense. Dubbing the initiative a “game changer,” a spokesperson declared, “Our country is becoming the first country in the world to deploy and operate laser weapons, and our military’s response capabilities on North Korea’s drone provocation will be further strengthened.”
Tensions Between the North and South Ramping Up
As previously mentioned, the development of the drones was, in part, a response to the growing hostilities between North and South Korea. Late in December 2022, five North Korean drones crossed into South Korean airspace, prompting the latter country to deploy scramble jets and attack helicopters to defend itself.
While the jets and helicopters fired substantial ammunition at the drones, they were unable to shoot any of them down. During this time, the drones flew over several South Korean cities for approximately five hours. “This is a clear act of provocation by the North violating our airspace,” a South Korean Lee Seung-o, alongside the Joint Chief of Staff, said at the time. Later, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stated, “The incident showed a substantial lack of our military’s preparedness and training for the past several years, and clearly confirmed the need for more intense readiness and training.”
Although the three-year war that began at the turn of the 20th century between North and South Korea halted with an armistice, the two nations are still technically at war since they never signed a peace treaty. And so, acts of provocation such as the drones and North Korea sending balloons of rubbish over to the South ramp up tensions between the countries, and prompt more military advancements like the Star Wars Project, in acts of defense.