South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has placed an order for hydrogen powered-drones produced by Doosan Mobility Innovation Inc.
The contract valued 831 million won ($737,000) was made under the government’s rapid acquisition process. The drones will be delivered to the Air Force by November.
Officials told Yonhap News Agency that the hydrogen fuel cell-propelled drones have a greater flight time compared to battery-propelled drones and are equipped with low-noise and low-vibration technologies, allowing the military to carry out surveillance operations with lower risk of being detected.
“We expect this project to become a starting point for the establishment of hydrogen-related infrastructure, and the energy to be used as a power source for various other weapons systems, such as large-sized drones and armored vehicles,” an official said.