South Korea tests live-fire defenses against drone swarm in 1st air force exercise

South Korea‘s air force has successfully conducted its first live-fire exercise against a swarm of drones, shooting down all 50 aerial targets with a combination of Vulcan cannons, a portable laser system and shotguns, military officials said Wednesday.

The exercise was carried out on Tuesday by the Air Force Missile Defense Command at a training range on the country’s west coast, according to the Asia First News Agency (AJP), reflecting growing concerns over the increasing use of drone swarms in modern warfare.

According to the air force, eight Vulcan cannons fired simultaneously at 50 low-flying drones approaching from about one kilometer away, creating a dense barrage that destroyed 44 of the targets before they reached defensive positions.

The remaining six drones that penetrated the initial layer of defense were intercepted at close range using a portable laser weapon and five shotguns, completing the exercise with a 100% interception rate.

The drill marked the first time the South Korean air force tested an integrated response against a coordinated drone swarm using its existing air defense assets.

“This was our first exercise to defend against the growing threat of drone swarms using existing assets, including Vulcan cannons,” said Col. Nam Hyung-joo, chief of intelligence and operations at the Air Force Missile Defense Command.

“We will continue to develop our counter-drone capabilities based on the results and lessons learned from the exercise,” he added.

The exercise comes as militaries worldwide are accelerating efforts to strengthen defenses against low-cost mass drone attacks, which have become a defining feature of recent conflicts and pose growing challenges to conventional air defense systems.