Latest news with #unmannedwarfare
South China Morning Post
19 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
South Korea's radical drone carrier concept enters race for maritime power projection
South Korea 's recent unveiling of a model of a radical new type of naval drone carrier signalled its intention to become the fourth country to join an exclusive group of militaries, after China, Turkey and Iran, as it bids to influence the future of warfare. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries revealed the model of the 15,000-tonne HCX-23 Plus drone carrier in late May at the 2025 International Maritime Defence Industry Exhibition in the South Korean port city of Busan. The concept hinted at how rapidly naval warfare is being redefined as defence strategists look for new ways to use unmanned weapons. Described by its designers as a 'next-generation unmanned platform', the radical, multi-deck ship, which lacks a traditional command island, revisits concepts abandoned by Japan and Britain after World War II, and has attracted keen attention from military experts and media. The HCX-23 Plus drone carrier model unveiled last month in Busan. Photo: X/mason_8718 'Strategically, this positions South Korea as a potential first mover in deploying a compact, drone-optimised maritime asset tailored to the demands of modern grey-zone and near-sea operations,' said Jihoon Yu, a retired naval commander and a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses. 'While high-risk, the HCX-23 Plus could represent a genuine leap in unmanned maritime power projection.'
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Government eyes advanced tech drive to prepare armed forces for the challenges of modern warfare
Britain's Armed Forces will undergo a high-tech revolution of drones and unmanned warplanes to prepare for the warfare of the 21st century, defence sources said last night. The Government's strategic defence review, to be published shortly, will learn the lessons of the war in Ukraine to herald a major change of direction. Drones are already increasingly used in the Armed Forces mainly for close surveillance. But the expected radical changes would dramatically expand their use and potentially involve equipping the Royal Navy with a squadron of unmanned planes operating from one of its carriers. The RAF would get the ability to deploy laser-armed swarming drones deployed from the new Tempest fighter jet. And the Army would be given a new drones regiment, with troops getting new long-range artillery and enhanced cyber capabilities. Two weeks ago, Defence Secretary John Healey hinted at the changes as he said on X that 'we've seen warfare changing [and] we are now learning the lessons from Ukraine'. And standing in front of a Eurofighter Typhoon, he spoke of how 'traditional, state-of-the-art fighter jets like this' would be 'working in future with drones you can put together in five minutes'. But last night, Tory defence spokesman James Cartlidge told The Mail on Sunday: 'If we are about to see this vital new investment in our nation's defences, it's not before time. 'But Labour's record so far has been penny-pinching over actual, necessary procurement.' There are claims that the defence review, led by former Nato secretary general and Labour peer Lord Robertson, will fail to live up to the Government's boast that it was a 'root and branch' examination of the military's real future needs. The Tories have already predicted that the exercise would be a 'damp squib' amid reports that key major defence procurement decisions would not even be set out in the final report. Decades of underfunding have left the Armed Forces with major gaps including a shortage of warships, armoured vehicles and fighter aircraft. The MoS revealed last year how there were fears that Britain's weak anti-missile defences left it wide open to attack if Russia aimed missiles at this country. The Ministry of Defence said reports of major new investment in drones was 'speculation'.
