S.Korean Military to get Samsung Smartphone-Based Combat Information Device

Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the South Korean military will receive a Samsung smartphone-based device to view real-time battle information without relying on communications networks, by mid-2021.

The state arms procurement agency has signed a contract with LIG Nex1 Co. to buy the individual combat equipment for the Army and the Marine Corps under the rapid acquisition project. Seoul plans to soon acquire indigenously developed drone-detecting radar and an unmanned multipurpose vehicle.

Next year, the troops will introduce it on a trial basis. "The new combat command system is expected to be delivered for trial in the next three to six months. The military will decide whether to formally request its deployment after the trial use," an agency official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.

The handheld combat system is developed based on the South Korean tech giant's Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition. It will allow troops to communicate, sharing intelligence and battle situations, without a separate communications repeater; and provides a night display mode and stealth function to block communications.