At a recent international maritime defence exhibition in Seoul, South Korean shipbuilders unveiled ambitious concepts for purpose-built "drone carriers," including models at roughly 42,000 tonnes and 15,000 tonnes, with a 32,000-tonne design reportedly in development. The displays by Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai Heavy Industries were accompanied by a clear statement from the Republic of Korea Navy that unmanned carriers will be the nucleus of a next‑generation carrier strike group.
Seoul also announced plans to modernize its Dokdo and Marado amphibious assault ships to enable routine unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) takeoffs and landings and to host integrated manned–unmanned command systems. Retrofitting those existing vessels is intended as a near‑term step that will allow the navy to begin experimenting with distributed aviation and to scaffold larger, purpose-built platforms later on.
If realized, a 42,000‑tonne drone carrier would place South Korea in a new class of maritime power projection capability, comparable in displacement to many amphibious assault ships and some small carriers. Such platforms would enable longer‑range surveillance, strike and sea‑control missions using networks of unmanned systems, signalling a doctrinal shift toward unmanned, sensor‑heavy expeditionary forces rather than traditional manned air wings alone.
The push reflects both industrial and strategic priorities. It gives South Korean shipbuilders a cutting‑edge product for a growing market in unmanned naval systems and offers Seoul a way to expand its maritime posture without the political and cost controversies that often accompany manned fleet carriers. At the same time, major technical hurdles remain: integrating large airborne unmanned systems, ensuring survivability in contested waters, creating robust command‑and‑control links, and funding construction and sustainment in a constrained defence budget.
Regionally, the development will be watched closely by China, Japan and North Korea. For allies such as the United States, South Korea’s focus on unmanned carriers could complement forward deployments by adding persistent ISR and strike options, while also raising questions about command arrangements and rules of engagement for autonomous systems at sea. The Dokdo and Marado upgrades suggest Seoul intends an incremental, test‑and‑learn path that will shape its naval doctrine over the coming decade.