YANGPYEONG – Once reconnaissance drones transmitted live footage of suspected enemy positions — identifying troops and possible landmines ahead — a column of armored vehicles began advancing toward hostile terrain.
Uncrewed systems moved first. Four-legged robotic platforms and explosive-ordnance disposal robots scanned the ground for hidden threats, while drones hovered overhead maintaining surveillance.
Behind them, an armored vehicle equipped with an artificial intelligence-based remote weapon control system locked onto targets, followed by a Korean Combat Engineer Vehicle clearing a safe passage for advancing forces.
The scene unfolded during the Army’s first live operational drill featuring the Korean Combat Engineer Vehicle, or K-CEV, at the Yangpyeong Integrated Training Ground in Gyeonggi Province on Thursday.
The drill offers a glimpse into how the military envisions future battlefield operations centered on artificial intelligence and staffed-unstaffed teaming.
According to the military, the exercise simulated wartime conditions in which mechanized units must penetrate enemy territory believed to be saturated with landmines, obstacles and hostile troops.
“The drill was designed to demonstrate how unmanned systems could reduce risk to personnel while accelerating battlefield maneuver amid declining manpower and rapidly evolving combat environments,” an Army official explained.
The K-CEV is an upgraded armored platform designed for mechanized combat engineer units operating in urban and mountainous terrain.
Built on the chassis of the Army’s K21 infantry fighting vehicle, the platform measures 6.9 meters in length and 3.4 meters in width and can carry up to seven personnel, including crew members. Limited unstaffed operation is currently possible within visual range.
The vehicle integrates a domestically developed artificial intelligence-based composite remote weapon control system, along with a 360-degree situational awareness system capable of detecting and classifying objects captured through onboard sensors.
Once reconnaissance data is collected, AI software automatically distinguishes between friendly and hostile personnel and equipment. Operators can remotely engage targets using weapons such as the K4 high-speed automatic grenade launcher or the K6 heavy machine gun without exposing crew members to direct enemy fire.
Hanwha Aerospace participated in the vehicle’s development, while the AI detection software used during the drill was developed domestically, according to military officials.
The K-CEV has been undergoing pilot operation since Jan. 5 with the Army’s 11th Maneuver Division, the military’s first mechanized infantry unit designated under the Army Tiger modernization initiative.
Army Tiger — “Transformative Innovation for Ground Forces Enhanced by Robotics” — represents the Army’s broader effort to integrate artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems into ground combat units as part of its future force transformation plan.
Lt. Col. Bae Young-hwan, commander of the Cheolma Battalion who led Thursday’s combined-arms exercise, said continued experimentation would help shape future combat doctrine.
“We will continue conducting training and combat experiments in diverse environments to identify areas for improvement and complete an elite combat force based on manned-unmanned integrated systems,” Bae said.
An Army official added that the K-CEV remains in a pilot operational phase and could be adopted more broadly once it meets evaluation standards following further testing.
ANN/The Korea Herald
