South Korea's Strategic Pivot: From Aircraft Carrier to Drone Warfare Platform

The Republic of Korea Navy's Transformation Reflects New Realities of Maritime Warfare

By Commander [Author Name], U.S. Navy

The Republic of Korea Navy's recent decision to abandon its planned CVX aircraft carrier program in favor of a revolutionary "Multi-purpose Unmanned Manned Integrated Command Ship" represents more than a simple procurement pivot—it signals a fundamental recalibration of naval power projection philosophy in the 21st century. This strategic transformation, unveiled to South Korea's National Assembly Defense Committee in May 2025, offers profound lessons for allied navies grappling with similar force structure challenges in an era of evolving maritime threats.

The Death of the CVX Dream

Originally conceived under the Moon Jae-in administration as part of the "Multi-Purpose Large Landing Craft II" program, the CVX was to be a 30,000-ton light aircraft carrier measuring 260 meters in length, capable of operating 20 F-35B Lightning II fighters by 2033. The program's estimated cost of ₩7 trillion (approximately $5.1 billion) represented a significant investment in conventional power projection capabilities.

However, the CVX program faced mounting challenges under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Beyond budgetary pressures, strategic planners increasingly questioned whether a traditional carrier-centric approach aligned with South Korea's operational requirements in the confined waters of Northeast Asia. The program's effective cancellation reflects broader skepticism about the viability of expensive, centralized platforms in an age of distributed lethality and precision strike capabilities.

The Unmanned Alternative: Technical Innovation and Strategic Adaptation

The Republic of Korea Navy's proposed replacement represents a dramatic departure from conventional carrier design philosophy. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' HCX-23 Plus concept, unveiled at MADEX 2025, features a flush flight deck with no island superstructure, utilizing an internally housed, AI-driven command and control suite. This configuration optimizes the platform for autonomous operations while incorporating sharply faceted surfaces that reduce radar cross-section and low-observable coatings.

The design philosophy prioritizes operational flexibility over traditional carrier aviation. The vessel's flush deck extends across the full length of the hull, offering two separate operational zones: an open launch and recovery area aft for fixed-wing UAVs, and a recessed forward section potentially dedicated to VTOL drone operations. This dual-zone approach enables simultaneous operations of diverse unmanned platforms, from long-endurance surveillance drones to combat UAVs and loitering munitions.

Unlike conventional carriers that depend on large air wings and extensive crew complements, the drone carrier concept emphasizes AI-driven logistics and mission planning systems, allowing real-time battlefield adaptation with minimal human oversight. This represents a fundamental shift from platform-centric to network-centric naval operations, where the ship serves as a node in a broader autonomous warfare ecosystem.

Proof of Concept: The Dokdo Experiments

The Republic of Korea Navy has not approached this transformation theoretically. On 12 November 2024, the South Korean Navy conducted a Gray Eagle STOL UAV take-off test aboard the amphibious assault ship ROKS Dokdo, demonstrating the practical viability of fixed-wing drone operations from naval platforms not originally designed for conventional aircraft.

While the Gray Eagle UAV took off from Dokdo and flew twice close to her port side to perform a "simulated landing procedure" but did not land on the ship, the test validated key operational concepts. The successful launch proved that new capabilities can be added without costly, major modifications to existing warships, offering a cost-effective pathway to enhanced capability.

These trials build upon South Korea's existing Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships, which displace 19,000 tons when fully loaded and feature large flight decks capable of operating 10-15 rotary-wing aircraft. The successful integration of fixed-wing UAV operations demonstrates how existing platforms can be leveraged to explore new operational concepts before committing to purpose-built designs.

Strategic Implications: Lessons from Contemporary Conflicts

The timing of South Korea's strategic pivot reflects hard-learned lessons from recent conflicts, particularly the war in Ukraine, where the evolving nature of maritime warfare has highlighted the vulnerability of expensive, centralized platforms to precision strike capabilities. The proliferation of anti-ship missiles, loitering munitions, and swarm attack capabilities has raised fundamental questions about the survivability of traditional high-value units in contested environments.

South Korea's approach acknowledges that the situation of future maritime warfare and the development of artificial intelligence, unmanned technology necessitates building an unmanned composite combat system as soon as possible. This perspective aligns with broader trends in defense thinking, where distributed, resilient networks are increasingly favored over concentrated, vulnerable assets.

The drone carrier concept offers several strategic advantages in the Northeast Asian context. First, it provides enhanced operational flexibility, enabling rapid mission reconfiguration based on threat profiles. Second, it reduces dependency on vulnerable manned platforms while maintaining power projection capabilities. Third, it offers significant cost savings—the revised UAV-based design is projected to reduce costs by several trillion South Korean won compared to the original CVX program.

Technological Maturation and Industrial Base Considerations

South Korea's pivot to unmanned naval platforms reflects broader technological maturation in autonomous systems. The Republic of Korea Armed Forces already operates a wide range of drones, ranging in size from Israeli-made Harpy loitering munitions to U.S.-supplied RQ-4B Block 30 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft. This existing expertise provides a foundation for scaling unmanned operations to naval platforms.

The decision also reflects industrial policy considerations. By replacing manned fighters with UAVs, the Navy aims to reduce dependency on foreign imports and promote domestic defense capabilities. This approach offers greater supply chain security and industrial sovereignty while supporting South Korea's growing defense technology sector.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' leadership in this transformation positions South Korea at the forefront of naval innovation. The HCX-23 Plus debut at MADEX 2025 places HD Hyundai Heavy Industries at the forefront of naval innovation, setting a new benchmark in the design of unmanned naval platforms tailored to 21st-century combat requirements.

SIDEBAR: Unmanned Airwing Composition for South Korea's Drone Carrier

The Republic of Korea Navy's drone carrier concept envisions a diverse unmanned airwing optimized for multi-domain operations in the confined waters of Northeast Asia. Based on current South Korean UAV inventory and operational requirements, the airwing would likely include:

Long-Range Strike and Surveillance (Fixed-Wing)

General Atomics MQ-9 Gray Eagle Extended Range: South Korea's successful November 2024 test of the Gray Eagle STOL variant from ROKS Dokdo demonstrates proven compatibility. The Gray Eagle's 27-hour endurance and precision strike capability make it ideal for persistent surveillance and time-sensitive targeting.
General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle-ER: An extended-range variant offering enhanced loiter time for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions across the Yellow Sea and East Sea approaches.

Medium-Range Combat UAVs

Domestically-produced KUS-X series: South Korea's indigenous combat UAV program could provide the backbone of the strike component, reducing foreign dependency while supporting domestic industrial capacity.
Modified KAI KUS-FC: An navalized version of South Korea's fighter-class UAV under development, potentially offering air-to-air engagement capability.

Loitering Munitions and Swarm Systems

IAI Harop: South Korea already operates these Israeli "fire-and-forget" loitering munitions, which could be launched in swarms for area denial operations.
Domestically-developed kamikaze drones: Indigenous variants optimized for anti-ship and coastal defense missions.

VTOL and Rotary-Wing UAVs

Vertical takeoff UAVs: For operations in confined spaces and close-in reconnaissance, potentially including tiltrotor configurations for enhanced versatility.
Unmanned helicopters: For logistics support, search and rescue, and anti-submarine warfare missions.

Electronic Warfare and Communications

EW variants: Specialized platforms for jamming, signals intelligence, and cyber warfare operations.
Communications relay UAVs: High-altitude platforms to extend command and control networks.

The airwing's modular composition would enable mission-specific loadouts, with the dual-zone flight deck accommodating simultaneous operations of different platform types. This flexibility represents a key advantage over traditional carrier aviation, where aircraft types are largely fixed by deck configuration and support infrastructure.

SIDEBAR: South Korean vs. Turkish Drone Carrier Programs - A Comparative Analysis

The Republic of Korea Navy's drone carrier initiative represents the second major naval power to pursue dedicated unmanned aviation platforms, following Turkey's pioneering TCG Anadolu. A comparison reveals divergent approaches to similar operational challenges:

Platform Size and Capability Turkey's TCG Anadolu measures 231 meters long with a 32-meter beam and displaces 27,079 tons in amphibious configuration, while South Korea's planned vessel is expected to reach 260 meters in length with a 40-meter beam and 30,000-ton displacement. The Korean platform's larger size reflects more ambitious operational requirements and enhanced autonomous systems integration.

Development Timeline and Status TCG Anadolu was commissioned in April 2023 and represents the world's first operational drone carrier, providing Turkey with immediate capability and valuable operational experience. The ship can carry up to 30 TB-2 or TB-3 Bayraktars in all-drone configuration. In contrast, South Korea's program remains in the conceptual design phase, with construction potentially beginning in the latter half of the 2030s—a timeline that reflects the more complex autonomous systems integration planned.

Cost Structure and Economic Approach Turkey's program originally cost approximately $500 million but was later revised to about $1 billion, representing a cost-effective approach leveraging the existing Spanish Juan Carlos I design. South Korea's original CVX program carried a ₩7 trillion ($5.1 billion) price tag, with the drone variant expected to reduce costs by several trillion won—still likely exceeding Turkey's investment by a significant margin.

Technical Philosophy and Innovation Turkey pursued a pragmatic adaptation approach, modifying an existing Spanish design after being excluded from the F-35 program. This resulted in rapid deployment but limited customization for unmanned operations. South Korea's approach emphasizes purpose-built design optimized for AI-driven autonomous operations, potentially offering superior capability at the cost of extended development timelines.

Operational Validation Turkey successfully demonstrated operational capability when the Bayraktar TB3 completed takeoff and landing operations from TCG Anadolu in November 2024—the first such achievement globally. South Korea has conducted preliminary testing with Gray Eagle UAVs from the existing Dokdo-class platform, proving basic concepts while developing more advanced capabilities.

Strategic Context and Mission Profiles Both programs reflect similar strategic imperatives: reducing dependence on expensive manned aircraft while maintaining power projection capabilities. However, Turkey's immediate operational requirement in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East drove rapid deployment, while South Korea's focus on Northeast Asian scenarios allows for more deliberate technological development.

Future Implications Turkey's operational experience with TCG Anadolu provides valuable data for the international community, while South Korea's advanced technological approach may set new standards for autonomous naval operations. The success of both programs could accelerate drone carrier adoption among medium-sized naval powers seeking cost-effective air power projection capabilities.

Capacity Estimates: Based on the HCX-23 Plus concept dimensions, the carrier could potentially operate 30-50 various UAVs simultaneously, with additional platforms stored in modular containers for rapid deployment. This represents significantly higher aircraft density than traditional carriers of comparable size.

Operational Concepts and Mission Profiles

The drone carrier concept envisions multi-domain roles across surveillance, electronic warfare, airspace denial, and rapid-response strike missions. This mission flexibility represents a significant departure from traditional carrier operations, which primarily focus on air superiority and power projection through manned aircraft.

The vessel is envisioned as a command ship for mobile forces, capable of executing strike, amphibious, security, and search-and-rescue operations. This multi-mission capability enables a single platform to support diverse operational requirements, from humanitarian assistance to high-intensity combat operations.

The integration of various unmanned platforms—a mix of combat, reconnaissance, and loitering munitions (kamikaze drones), while retaining some manned rotary-wing aircraft for landing and attack missions—creates a flexible air wing capable of adapting to evolving mission requirements in real-time.

Regional and Global Implications

South Korea's transformation occurs within a broader global trend toward unmanned naval capabilities. Several other nations, including China, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, either operate or have reviewed plans to acquire drone carriers. This convergence suggests that the drone carrier concept addresses fundamental operational challenges facing modern navies.

For the United States and its allies, South Korea's approach offers both opportunities and challenges. The enhanced capability provided by drone carriers could strengthen collective defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in scenarios requiring persistent surveillance or distributed strike operations. However, the shift away from traditional platforms like the F-35B could complicate interoperability and coalition operations.

The success of South Korea's drone carrier program could influence broader alliance procurement decisions, potentially accelerating the adoption of similar concepts by other partners facing budget constraints and evolving threat environments.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite its promise, the drone carrier concept faces significant challenges. Command and control of multiple autonomous platforms in complex electromagnetic environments remains technically demanding. The integration of AI-driven systems raises questions about human oversight and autonomous weapon system governance.

Additionally, the vulnerability of unmanned platforms to electronic warfare and cyber attacks presents new defensive challenges. The concentration of drone operations on a single platform, while offering efficiency benefits, could create attractive targets for adversary anti-access/area-denial strategies.

The timeline for implementation—construction could begin in the second half of the 2030s—reflects the complexity of developing these capabilities while ensuring operational reliability and strategic effectiveness.

Conclusion: A New Paradigm for Naval Power

South Korea's strategic pivot from traditional aircraft carriers to drone warfare platforms represents more than a procurement decision—it embodies a fundamental reimagining of naval power projection for the digital age. By embracing autonomous systems and distributed operations, the Republic of Korea Navy is positioning itself at the forefront of maritime warfare evolution.

The success of this transformation will depend on effective integration of advanced technologies, robust command and control systems, and adaptive operational concepts. If successful, South Korea's approach could provide a blueprint for other medium-sized navies seeking to maintain relevant power projection capabilities in an era of constrained budgets and evolving threats.

For allied navies, the South Korean example offers valuable insights into balancing capability requirements with fiscal realities while embracing technological innovation. As the international maritime security environment continues to evolve, the lessons learned from South Korea's drone carrier program will likely influence naval force structure decisions far beyond Northeast Asia.

The transformation of the Republic of Korea Navy reflects broader questions facing all modern maritime forces: how to maintain relevance and effectiveness in an age of rapid technological change, evolving threat profiles, and resource constraints. South Korea's answer—embracing autonomous systems and distributed warfare concepts—may well preview the future of naval power itself.

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