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South Korea considers buying Israeli drone detection systems — report

The purchase has been weighed amid the criticism of the South Korean defense forces that recently failed to counter the penetration of a North Korean drone into the no-fly zone near the presidential office in Seoul

SEOUL, January 8. /TASS/. South Korea is considering buying the Sky Spotter drone detection systems from Israel, the Yonhap news service reported on Sunday, citing a defense source.

The South Korean military plans to decide whether to formally request the purchase of the system following a review that will determine in the coming weeks if it’s effective in countering North Korean drone threats.

Produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Sky Spotter is designed for the early detection and tracking of such aerial objects as drones and balloons.

The purchase has been weighed amid the criticism of the South Korean defense forces that recently failed to counter the penetration of a North Korean drone into the no-fly zone near the presidential office in Seoul. A total of five North Korean drones intruded into the South Korean airspace on December 26. While one of them reached as far as Seoul, the others hovered near an island to the west of the capital. South Korean forces tried to down the drones for five hours but failed. One drone was able to return from Seoul and the others disappeared from radars.