The US Plans on Launching Attack Drones to North Korea After Paralympic Games

The US is planning on deploying attack drones to the Korean Peninsula, claims South Korean news media, according to the most recent reports. It is said that there are 12 attack drones prepared for specific purposes of targeting North Korean leaders and other military targets and the drones are ready for deployment in either March or April, as reported last week by South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo. The newspaper also reported that a hangar has been under construction to facilitate drones if Gray Eagle type. Along with the hangar, support facilities and personnel have arrived at the US air base in South Korea at Kunsan.

The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle is the name of an aircraft system that is unmanned and made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems specifically for the US Army. The attack drones are said to have a wingspan of 18 yards (17 meters) and are the successor to the MQ-1 drones. The drones can perform a lot of tasks during a mission including infiltration, surveillance, reconnaissance, and attack. The drones have a range of 248 miles, which should be sufficient to cover a large part of the North Korean territory.

The attack drones are capable of gathering intelligence within an area of 400 km radius (248 miles) and an altitude of 7.6 km (4.7 miles). Each of these drones has an array of equipment of incredible range. This would make it possible for the drones to fly straight from Seoul to Pyongyang with more than enough range to spare. Seoul and the home of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea is only 195 km (121 miles) apart. Each drone is 8 meters long and packs a tremendous power, enough to render North Korea devastated, in the form of Viper Strike bombs, which the drones can launch with one-meter accuracy.

The deployment of these attack drones to South Korea is not the first done by the US Army. In response to North Korea’s provocative actions, the US sent their drones last March. This action was taken by the US, however, was not enough to deter the North and make them stop doing almost a dozen missile tests. A spokesperson for the US said earlier this week that there will be a drill between the US and South Korea. The drill is expected to cease temporarily and resume after the Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang ends in March.