South Korea to Recruit Soldiers for Dronebot Combat Unit

South Korea's Army will select soldiers next year to serve in the envisioned "dronebot combat unit," which it describes as a potential game changer in warfare.

The Army will create a related military occupational specialty in the coming year. It stopped short of revealing the exact schedule and size of the new team.

The Army is preparing to begin the recruitment process in consultation with the Military Manpower Administration, with those with certificates related to drone maintenance and operation preferred.

It's also considering training commissioned and non-commissioned Army officers to join the dronebot team.

"Drone operation troops will be tasked with maneuvering military drones in peace and wartime," the army was quoted as saying in a statement by Yonhap Friday.

It calls the defense asset a "dronebot," a combination of the words "drone" and "robot." It will establish a "dronebot military research center" in January to study its mission and combat role. 

The team will operate reconnaissance dronebots against North Korean targets as nuclear and missile sites. In case of a contingency, swarms of dronebots will be mobilized to launch attacks. The Army is also considering imitating a similar military unit of Israel's, added the official.