It has been confirmed that the South Korean military is working to upgrade the domestically produced KA-1 tactical control aircraft in response to North Korea’s ongoing balloon activities, which have occurred 11 times this year.
Multiple military officials and industry sources reported yesterday that the South Korean military is pursuing modifications to the KA-1 to enable it to fire 7.62mm airburst munitions as part of a Rapid Demonstration Acquisition Project (RDAP).
Currently, the KA-1 is equipped with a 12.7mm machine gun, MK-81 and MK-82 aerial bombs, and a 70mm LAU-131 7-round rocket launcher. The military believes replacing the machine gun with a 7.62mm version will better counter North Korea’s balloon activities.
When a 12.7mm machine gun mounted on an aircraft misses its target, the falling ordnance risks causing casualties or property damage on the ground. By switching to a 7.62mm machine gun with a smaller projectile diameter, the military can reduce the potential ground damage from stray munitions. Also, incorporating an airburst function into the munitions could further decrease the risk of falling debris. Military authorities believe these changes will allow the KA-1 tactical control aircraft to operate closer to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and intercept incoming balloons from the north in mid-air.
It is presumed that the South Korean military decided to implement this plan due to criticism and concern from opposition parties and the public following recent incidents in which North Korean balloons reached the presidential office in Yongsan and the Ministry of National Defense, the heart of the military.
Meanwhile, North Korea sent trash balloons for the 11th time on Saturday. However, most of these balloons did not cross into the south due to southerly or southwesterly winds. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, only about ten out of the 240 balloons released by North Korea landed in northern Gyeonggi Province. While North Korea attempted to send trash southward, it took on its litter. Analysts interpret North Korea’s recent balloon provocations as a follow-up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent remarks, where he referred to South Korea as “garbage.”
Yang Moo Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, stated, “This action intends to spread Kim’s adversarial views toward South Korea among the populace and treat them as trash by associating the legitimacy of sending balloons to South Korea. This strategy aims to alleviate internal pressures that could amplify due to disasters by emphasizing hostility toward South Korea and reinforcing regime cohesion.”
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