South Korea’s Army has conducted a live demonstration of an airborne FPV kamikaze drone launch from a KUH-1 Surion helicopter, testing its ability to intercept aerial targets in flight.
The drill involved ejecting an FPV (First-Person View) drone, equipped with a live explosive charge, from a Surion utility helicopter. Once airborne, the drone was remotely guided to intercept and strike an airborne RC-MAT drone target designed to simulate hostile unmanned systems. The test focused on validating both the launch and remote strike process under real conditions.
According to the Republic of Korea Army’s Second Operational Command, the exercise placed emphasis on evaluating the operational feasibility of launching kamikaze drones mid-flight. The goal was to verify procedures for aerial deployment and assess the tactical value of airborne drone strikes against airborne threats.
Staff Sergeant Kim Tae-hoon, a drone operator from the 50th Infantry Division who participated in the training, said, “We successfully struck the target using an FPV kamikaze drone launched from the Surion. If warhead types specialized for FPV drones are developed in the future, we believe the mission performance will become even more effective.”
FPV drones, originally developed for civilian and racing applications, are now being modified for military use due to their maneuverability and cost-effectiveness.
The Second Operational Command said the results of the training would be submitted as part of a formal capability request to Army Headquarters. The data will help inform future force structure and procurement plans related to airborne drone deployment and interception roles.
Planners say the technology could provide an additional layer of air defense, especially in contested or forward areas where conventional ground-based systems may have limited visibility or slower response times. By deploying drones from helicopters already in flight, the Army hopes to expand engagement options and reduce response latency when facing enemy unmanned aerial vehicles.
The South Korean military has been steadily expanding its use of unmanned systems across all branches, with FPV drones increasingly seen as a flexible tool for both reconnaissance and precision strike roles. The integration of these drones into helicopter operations adds a new dimension to combined arms tactics, particularly in environments where both manned and unmanned aerial threats are expected.