Overview
- Two K-LUCAS loitering munitions launched from the Dokdo-class ship ROKS Marado crashed into the sea seconds after liftoff during a maritime test on August 25, 2026.
- ADD’s initial probe found a slightly misaligned door on a lower launcher tube that was pushed inward by launch forces, creating an imbalance that forced departing drones sharply to the right and caused loss of control.
- The agency said the drones and flight systems themselves operated normally and investigators are focusing on whether the misalignment happened during assembly, movement of the launcher, or loading operations.
- ADD announced it will not run additional maritime launches for now even as Seoul presses to accelerate K-LUCAS deployment and expand unmanned capabilities across the military.
- K-LUCAS is a domestically built, long-endurance loitering munition with about a 3-meter wingspan and over 10 hours endurance, and the failure highlights the specific technical and procedural risks of adapting long‑range attack drones to shipboard launch systems that the military will need to address before wider deployment.