"US Bases in Korea and Japan Vulnerable to North Korean and Chinese Drone Attacks... North Korea Enhances Drone Capabilities via Troop Dispatch to Russia"

"Urgent Need to Strengthen Air Defense at U.S. Bases in Asia"
"North Korea Gaining Real-World Drone Experience Through Troop Deployments to Russia"

AP Yonhap News

A U.S. think tank has pointed out that U.S. military bases in Asia, including those in Korea, are highly vulnerable to missile and drone attacks from China and North Korea. Some experts argue that it is increasingly necessary to further strengthen Korea’s air defense systems, given that North Korea is rapidly acquiring drone warfare tactics by increasing the scale of its troop deployments to Russia.

Seth Jones, Director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on August 10 (local time), stating, "The United States has been too slow to apply lessons from the war in Ukraine to better protect its military bases and other infrastructure in the Middle East," adding, "U.S. facilities throughout the Pacific region are particularly vulnerable to attacks by China and North Korea, in a manner similar to U.S. facilities in the Middle East."

In fact, since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February, more than 20 U.S. military bases across eight countries in the Middle East have suffered damage. Iran has used ballistic missiles and drones to attack U.S. bases over 2,000 times, resulting in the estimated loss of over 42 U.S. military aircraft and equipment and facility damage amounting to $13 billion (approximately 18 trillion won).

Jones emphasized, “China poses an even more serious threat because it possesses drones that are larger and higher-performing than Iran's, as well as a wide array of cruise and ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles. To protect U.S. military bases and infrastructure throughout the Pacific—including Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Guam—we must strengthen air defense systems.”

He continued, “We must be able to identify and neutralize each type of missile and drone threat, and it is urgent to establish active defense systems according to drone flight range. In the long-range stage, the Patriot air defense system must be rapidly enhanced. For the mid-range stage, the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) system should be strengthened. For the short-range, a more powerful anti-drone interception system should be in place.”

Jones further stated that, in addition to autonomous air defense systems, strengthening passive defense systems for critical infrastructure is also crucial. He emphasized, “As seen in Iran and Ukraine, passive defenses such as underground facilities for vital infrastructure, the installation of netting and barbed wire, and the construction of high-density, multi-layered concrete barriers are also necessary. The U.S. Congress must expedite increased funding for the maintenance, restoration, and modernization of Department of Defense facilities, and the Department of Defense must act quickly to implement this.”

There are also growing concerns that greater vigilance is needed regarding North Korea, as its real-world drone warfare capabilities increase through troop deployments to Russia. According to CNN, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a national address, “The more North Korea’s missiles and troops are used in Russia, the more North Korea compensates for its lack of experience. The risks facing Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and the Philippines will only grow,” adding, “We must curb North Korea’s desire and interest in coming to our territory and airspace to learn from the war.”

Previously, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) announced that North Korea is planning to send an additional 50,000 troops to Russia, with a ballistic missile launch unit among the first to be deployed. According to HUR, North Korea’s ballistic missile launch unit has established positions in Russia’s Voronezh region, Ukraine’s Luhansk region, and other key border areas. HUR warned that North Korean troops participating in major front-line operations with Russian forces are steadily building up real-world combat experience.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.