South Korea’s defense community is placing renewed attention on anti-aircraft guns as an effective response to the growing threat posed by mass drone attacks on modern battlefields. The shift reflects increasing concern among military planners that traditional missile-based air defense

Military analysts say this imbalance has exposed a structural weakness in traditional air defense systems. Interceptor missiles used in systems such as Patriot, Iron Dome, and Cheongung-II can cost far more than the drones they are designed to destroy, creating a costly exchange during sustained attacks.