Hyundai Wia completes flying drone interception test

Hyundai Wia Corp., an auto parts and defense unit of Hyundai Motor Group, announced on Thursday that the first shooting trial of its anti-drone system (ADS) succeeded at the firing range in North Chungcheong Province.

Designed to counter the growing use of drones in military operations, the ADS blends a soft kill feature, which disrupts drone radio signals, with a hard kill mechanism that uses Air Burst Munition (ABM) to intercept and effectively disable drones.

The primary focus of the test was the system's hard kill capacity for drone interception. Using sophisticated optical technology, drones were successfully detected, identified, and tracked from significant distances, ending with an effective interception. 

The Hyundai Wia's ADS brings together an array of features. It is equipped with radar for long-range detection and optical devices for precise drone identification and tracking. The system is specially designed to overcome hurdles posed by soft-kill tactics such as jamming, drone hijacking, and electromagnetic pulses, employing a hard-kill strategy to intercept drones effectively. The interception involves using a remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) in tandem with ABMs.

Aiming to reduce civilian casualties, Hyundai Wia has integrated strings of streamers into the ADS. These are fitted with multiple vinyl ribbons, and tangle in the drone's rotors upon explosion, resulting in a controlled descent and minimized collateral damage. The company is also planning to incorporate Steel Ball, which would enable efficient countermeasures against fixed-wing drones.

Moving forward, Hyundai Wia is fervently working on a vehicle-mounted ADS to intercept swift drones, which it plans to showcase at the prestigious Seoul ADEX 2023 defense industry exhibition in October. A Hyundai WIA spokesperson underlined the company's commitment to offering top-notch solutions to meet the evolving threat of drone attacks.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com