The Switchblade Debut
Taesik responded to Director Choi Young-gyu’s question. "If I were to acquire it, would the Ministry of National Defense provide their cooperation?"
"Yes. The current state of Korea Aerospace is dire. Without government investment, it’s struggling to survive, and it lacks economic viability because the positions are filled by parachute appointees—bureaucrats and generals taking turns in the CEO seat. If Starlink has any intention of acquiring it, the Ministry of National Defense can certainly recommend it to the government."
"Well, I’d certainly appreciate the Ministry's support."
As they continued their conversation, an announcement signaled the start of the test evaluation. Taesik and his guests moved to the podium, which offered a clear view of the testing grounds. Once the guests were seated, CEO Park In-tak immediately announced the commencement of the evaluation and began the introduction of the suicide drones according to the prepared scenario.
"Welcome, everyone, to today’s test evaluation of our suicide drones, the Switchblade series. Before we begin, allow me to introduce them."
At CEO Park’s signal, the staff pulled back the covers in front of the Switchblades. The guests stood up to get a better look at the actual drones. Since Starlink had only provided specifications and no actual photographs, the guests wore bewildered expressions at the sight of drones that appeared to be made of cardboard.
"Isn't that made of paper? The one on the far left looks like it’s made of corrugated cardboard..."
"No way... it really is made of cardboard."
Seeing the guests' perplexed reactions to the cardboard drones, CEO Park calmly continued his presentation.
"The suicide drones produced by Starlink come in three types: from the left, the Switchblade A, B, and C. The Switchblade A is constructed from corrugated cardboard, and its cost is 1 million won. As far as I know, the price of a mortar shell is 400,000 won, making this drone only about 2.5 times more expensive."
The attendees, realizing that the cardboard construction naturally kept the cost low, waited for what he would say next.
"The Switchblade A can carry 5kg of explosives and fly up to 120km. Once GPS coordinates are entered, it autonomously flies to the destination and self-destructs. If launched from here, it could strike North Korea’s Wonsan Port directly. It was developed to attack fixed targets like radar stations and military facilities. For your information, because it is made of cardboard, the probability of it being detected by radar is extremely low."
The attendees were amazed that a fixed military facility could be attacked for just 1 million won, and they raised their hands to ask questions.
"I have a question."
CEO Park instructed his staff to hand the microphone to the attendee and took the question.
"If it’s made of cardboard, isn't it vulnerable to moisture or rain?"
"That is correct. To reinforce its vulnerability to moisture, we applied a transparent film to the exterior of the cardboard to provide waterproofing. We adopted the most cost-effective method possible, keeping economic efficiency in mind."
The attendees laughed at CEO Park’s witty remark, and he naturally moved on to the next presentation.
"The next drone is the Switchblade B, an anti-personnel suicide drone. Weighing about 2.5kg, it can fly for 15 minutes with an operational radius of 10km. It can be controlled directly by a soldier via a portable terminal, and it can identify and strike enemies using the electro-optical infrared camera mounted on the front. For your information, the lethal radius is about 10 to 15 meters."
The attendees paid close attention, noting that unlike the Switchblade A, this model used a cutting-edge terminal and allowed for direct control.
"The Switchblade B costs about 8 million won and can be used for high-value target assassination or eliminating machine gun and mortar positions. To enhance portability, one set can fit into a backpack, and it can be operated by a two-person team."
The attendees raised their hands if they had any questions. CEO Park took a sip of water and accepted another inquiry.
"Looking at the shape of the drone, it doesn't seem to have an engine. How does it gain propulsion, and is it recoverable?"
"The drone contains a lithium battery inside its body, which powers the propeller. Since it is a suicide drone, it doesn't have a recovery function, but it can be recycled if you use something like a net. For the record, Starlink successfully recovered it using a net during our development test evaluations."
"What is the launch method? Does it use a launcher like the Songgolmae drone produced by Korea Aerospace?"
"To enhance portability, the Switchblade B adopts a compressed air launch system. It uses air pressure to launch the drone into the sky, at which point the wings unfold and the propeller takes over to provide flight."
CEO Park waited leisurely for the next question, but when no further questions arose, he introduced the final drone.
"The Switchblade C is a drone designed to eliminate tanks. Like the anti-personnel version, it uses a compressed air launch system. The drone weighs about 23kg and is launched using a dedicated launcher; we have both single-tube and multi-tube configurations. It costs 14 million won and possesses 800mm of penetration power. It can fly for up to 40 minutes with an operational radius of 40km."
As soon as CEO Park finished his introduction, an officer from the Army raised his hand.
"It seems to have penetration power similar to the Javelin missiles the Army possesses, but what is the attack method? And are there any countermeasures against enemy GPS jamming?"
"While the Javelin is a weapon that targets the side of a tank, the Switchblade C attacks by striking the top of the tank directly. To my knowledge, there is no tank with top armor thicker than 800mm. It is a cheaper weapon than the Javelin and just as economical as our cardboard drone. The Javelin costs about 160 million won, doesn't it?"
The Army officer nodded at CEO Park’s question.
"I understand the domestic K1 tank costs about 4.4 billion won, yet this can neutralize one tank for 14 million won. The economic exchange ratio is incredible, isn't it?"
Everyone was astonished to hear that a multi-billion won tank could be attacked for only 14 million won.
"And to prepare for GPS jamming, we have applied filtering technology that restores the GPS signal."
The Army officer asked a follow-up question.
"Is the GPS applied to the drones explained earlier and the Switchblade we are discussing now civilian or military grade?"
"We were unable to receive military GPS from the United States, so we used civilian GPS."
"Then, even if there are countermeasures against GPS jamming, isn't it still vulnerable?"
When the sensitive question came up, CEO Park hesitated, and Taesik requested the microphone from a staff member.
"You are all aware that Starlink was the first in the country to put a satellite into orbit. We plan to launch two more by the end of this year, and once four satellites are up, we will be able to provide our own GPS information solely for the Korean Peninsula. While civilian GPS is currently installed, we plan to receive GPS information from Starlink satellites in the future, so you can set aside your concerns regarding GPS jamming."
The Army officer, hearing about the plan to build an independent GPS system for the Korean Peninsula, asked, "Can Starlink GPS distinguish between civilian and military use?"
"Currently, we have only allocated the frequencies to receive GPS information. If the Ministry of National Defense requests it in the future, we will provide military-grade GPS information for an appropriate fee."
"Then, wouldn't the soldiers deployed to Iraq be restricted from using it?"
The Army officer continued to press with difficult questions.
"Are the insurgents in Iraq really sophisticated enough to possess GPS jamming devices?"
At Taesik’s counter-question, the attending officers burst into laughter. Taesik then replied.
"Starlink will launch four satellites by this year, and we intend to continue putting artificial satellites into orbit. While it isn't the case right now, we plan to build our own GPS system in the future."
The officer who had been asking the questions grabbed the microphone again. "I would like to thank Starlink for doing the work that the government should have been doing."
The attendees nodded in agreement with the officer’s words, and as there were no further questions, CEO Park prepared for the next event.
"Now, we will have the demonstration of the Switchblade drones. First, the Switchblade A."
At CEO Park’s signal, the staff turned on the drone's power and started the propeller. It began to emit a low-frequency hum, and a staff member threw the drone into the air toward the target in the distance. The test evaluation attendees began to observe the drone as it climbed into the sky, avoiding the glare of the sun, and CEO Park took the microphone again.
"The drone that has just ascended will continue to fly around the training grounds. While the Switchblade A is flying, we will launch the Switchblade B."
The staff inserted the anti-personnel drone into the prepared launch tube and waited for the signal. Upon receiving CEO Park’s signal, the controller ordered the launch, and the staff member immediately pressed the launch switch.
"Pop!"
With a low-frequency explosion, the Switchblade B was launched forward. Its wings unfolded, the propeller began to spin, and it ascended into the sky with its characteristic sound. As the screen on the prepared TV began to show the feed linked to the Switchblade’s electro-optical camera, CEO Park said:
"Attendees on the podium, please look at the TVs placed in front of you. You can see the real-time footage being sent by the Switchblade flying in the sky."
At CEO Park’s words, the attendees focused on the left screen of the two TVs placed in front of them instead of the distant Switchblade, observing the feed from the Switchblade B simultaneously.
"Wow! It’s possible to identify and attack the enemy in real-time."
"With performance like that, there’s no need to send search teams into dangerous areas. You work in the Doctrine Department, right? It must be tough trying to come up with new doctrines."
The officers sitting on the podium focused on the screen, discussing the need to devise operational concepts for the soldiers who would be operating these drones once they were deployed.
As the Switchblade B arrived near the target on the training ground, CEO Park said, "Instead of enemy soldiers, we have placed red balloons on the target. We will now enter self-destruct mode."
As soon as CEO Park finished speaking, the staff member controlling the terminal began to lower the drone toward the circular target in the center of the balloons. As the target drew closer in real-time, the attendees focused on the TV screen. Since the other TV was showing the entire target area, the attendees focused by alternating between the two screens.
When the Switchblade B slammed into the target, it caused an explosion, and at the same time, the balloons placed around it burst, spraying colored powder. "The Switchblade has reached its target. Since the surrounding balloons are placed in a circle at 1-meter intervals, try to find the lethal radius from the burst balloons. If anyone is having trouble seeing it, I can point it out for you."
At CEO Park’s playful remark, the officers smiled slightly, focused on the TV screen, and began to scan the range of the burst balloons with their eyes. As the attendees focused on the screen, CEO Park smiled slyly and signaled his staff to prepare for the next phase.