U.S. and South Korean soldiers take a drone lethality course at the Warrior Works Innovation Lab on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on May 7, 2026. (Geonwoo Park/U.S. Army)
The U.S. and South Korea have agreed to deeper cooperation on drone and counter-drone systems, launching what Seoul described as a new “drone alliance” between the two countries.
Jeon Joon-boem, director general of the defense artificial intelligence planning bureau, and Patrick Mason, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Army for defense exports and cooperation, signed a letter of intent in Seoul on Friday, the Ministry of National Defense said in a press release that day.
The agreement calls for the countries to develop a joint supply chain and establish common standards for unmanned aircraft systems — drone and anti-drone systems — to improve interoperability during combined operations while lowering logistics costs, the ministry said.
“Interoperability” is an often-used military term describing the ability of a country’s armed forces to use another nation’s training methods and equipment.
U.S. and South Korean soldiers take a drone lethality course at the Warrior Works Innovation Lab on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on May 7, 2026. (Geonwoo Park/U.S. Army)
As part of the deal, South Korean drone and anti-drone products will be listed on the Pentagon’s counter-UAS marketplace, an online procurement platform that streamlines drone system acquisitions for government employees.
The Pentagon announced in February that the marketplace had reached “initial operational capability” with a catalog of more than 1,600 counter-UAS items.
Seoul and Washington also agreed to pursue common standards for small drone batteries to improve compatibility between allied systems, the ministry added.
Jun-Beom Jeon, director general of the Defense AI Planning Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense, and Patrick Mason, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for export cooperation, signed a letter of intent regarding cooperation on drones in Seoul, South Korea, on May 15, 2026. (South Korean Ministry of National Defense)
“Through drone and anti-drone cooperation and market participation, allies such as South Korea will overcome the existing acquisition barriers and be able to achieve rapid deployment of drone systems that are effective and interoperable,” Mason said in the ministry’s press release.
The deal will also ensure the availability of the industry’s best technology, he added.
Won Jong-dae, deputy minister of national defense, said this preliminary agreement marks the starting point where the South Korea-U.S. alliance “evolves into a ‘drone alliance.’ ”
The two allies aim to establish “a stable joint supply chain between our nations,” Won said.
