DGIST announced that an AESA radar system developed by TORIS Co., Ltd., a start-up founded by DGIST researcher Dr. Dae-gun Oh, would be field-tested by the Army, Navy and Air Force for six months beginning June 22, 2021. The system was expected to contribute significantly to the Republic of Korea’s counter-drone defense capability.
The AESA radar formed part of the ‘Integrated Radar-Linked Counter-Drone Solution’ selected in November 2020 for DAPA’s rapid demonstration procurement project. The project aims to detect small hostile drones approaching critical facilities and disable them with electronic jamming.
DGIST described the TORIS-developed radar as an achievement at the highest international level among then-available drone-detection radar systems. In pre-delivery inspections, the radar reportedly detected a drone with an RCS of 0.01 square meter from 8 kilometers away.
Through this system, the team had demonstrated internationally competitive small-drone detection technology and established an architecture that could be integrated with the system provider’s electronic warfare equipment for a coordinated counter-drone response.
Kim Il-dong, head of DAPA’s Future Force Business Support Bureau, said the system was expected to help strengthen defense against aerial threats at important military sites. He also expressed hope that closer cooperation among industry, academia and research institutions would accelerate the introduction of high-quality civilian technology into defense.
Dr. Dae-gun Oh said the outcome resulted from close collaboration with Korean companies and international research institutions, as well as continued support from the Ministry of Science and ICT and DGIST. He said TORIS intended to continue challenging the global drone-detection radar market then dominated by companies from the United States, Europe and Israel.
