South Korea’s Navy eyes creation of unmanned command in 2040s

South Korea's Navy is seeking to create a new command running unmanned ships, submarines, and aircraft in the 2040s, the armed service said on October 21, in an effort to address a potential troop shortage caused by the country's low birthrate.

During a parliamentary audit, the Navy unveiled a series of policy goals, including removing one of the three fleet commands and creating a new command employing unmanned naval assets, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The envisioned command is to comprise three units -- the unmanned surface ship, submarine, and aviation groups -- the Navy said.

For the change in its overall force structure, the Navy plans to curtail the percentage of conscripts in its personnel makeup to 20 percent in the 2040s from the current 37.1 percent.

The Navy also outlined its plan to increase the percentage of unmanned assets in its overall operations, which currently stands at 1 percent to 9 percent in the mid-2020s, 28 percent in the mid-2030s, and 45 per cent in the 2040s.