Army plans to develop drones to step up vigilance over N. Korea

By Sam Kim

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean army plans to beef up its capability to monitor North Korean military bases by developing drones that can stay high above ground, an official said.

The so-called aerostats will supplement the unmanned aerial vehicles South Korea
currently operates to scrutinize the 1.2-million-strong North Korean military, an
Army official said.
The officials said the aerostats will be able to fly at least 10km above the
ground and take both daytime and nighttime aerial photos of North Korean
facilities, the official said.
"They won't cover the entire North Korean region, but they will help identify
targets in areas that have traditionally been difficult to see with our existing
equipment," he said.
"We're expecting the aerostats will be developed by 2011," the official said,
seeking customary anonymity and declining to give more details because bidding
for the project is under way.
The Army plans to announce the contractor by the end of this year, according to
the official.
South and North Korea remain locked in a technical state of war after the 1950-53
Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
The two countries share one of the world's most heavily fortified borders. The
South Korea defense ministry announced earlier this month it will seek to obtain
the capability to monitor all North Korean territory by 2020.
South Korea relies heavily on U.S. intelligence for visual information on North
Korea's military bases. The U.S., which operates a satellite and drones, has
28,500 troops stationed here as a deterrent against North Korea.