South Korea has upgraded the Night Intruder 300 unmanned aerial vehicles (pictured) in service with its army and navy. (Korea Aerospace Industries)
South Korea has completed a project to upgrade the Republic of Korea (RoK) Armed Forces' Night Intruder 300 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), also known as RQ-101.
South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 7 January that all ageing components of RQ-101 were replaced with new components to enhance the surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of the UAV.
DAPA said that RQ-101 has been a key surveillance asset for the RoK Armed Forces to monitor North Korean military activities along the border and in the maritime environment.
“Although RQ-101 was upgraded in mid-2010s, it was recently facing operational difficulties due to some of the ageing equipment,” DAPA added.
Under the project, RQ-101 has been equipped with new sensors made with the latest technology. The improved performance and flight safety of the upgraded UAV have been tested, and it is now ready for deployment, DAPA said.
DAPA had not responded to Janes request for more information about the new sensors installed into RQ-101 at the time of publication.
According to Janes All the World's Aircraft: Unmanned , RQ-101 – developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) – has a length of 4.8 m, height of 1.5 m, and wingspan of 6.4 m. The UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 300 kg, payload capacity of 45 kg, and speed of 185 km/h. It has an endurance of six hours and a service ceiling of 14,760 ft.
RQ-101 is used by the RoK Army (RoKA) and the RoK Navy. In addition to surveillance and reconnaissance, the UAV can be used for target acquisition and bombing guidance.
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