S.Korean LIG Nex1 to develop jammers against drones from the North

South Korea’s major defense maker LIG Nex1 Co. plans to develop drone jammers that can force small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to go off course or crash by interfering and disturbing radio waves.

LIG Nex1 said on Monday it is preparing for the development of the technology with a proposal to the South Korean government for a response system to counter small UAVs. The government wants to make the so-called K-jammers to keep North Korean drones from violating sovereign airspace.

The technology is expected to significantly improve South Korea’s electronic warfare attack capabilities against small UAVs, LIG Nex1 said.

“The development of a small UAV response system will contribute not only to advancing military power but also to improving our defense research and development capabilities in electronics warfare,” said a company official. “It will also play an important role in enhancing the competitiveness of the country’s industries including the defense sector.”

A defense system against drone attacks has emerged as a national priority around the world as UAVs have been widely used in the Russia-Ukraine war.

ALREADY SECURED KEY TECHNOLOGIES

LIG Nex1 said it has already secured core technologies for K-jammers including radio disturbance and interference technologies using L-Band transmission equipment -- a device to disturb satellite navigation -- and drone data communication interference technologies.

The company showcased those core technologies through demonstration projects to establish an anti-drone defense system with more than 500 cases of drone neutralization demonstration tests in 2020 and 2021.

Last year, it supplied to the government’s major institutions for the first time in South Korea with an integrated system to incapacitate illegal drones.

Write to Kyung-Min Kang at kkm1026@hankyung.com
Jongwoo Cheon edited this article.