The state defense procurement agency has begun mass production of a medium altitude unmanned aerial vehicle(MUAV) to be deployed on reconnaissance operations against North Korea in phases from 2027.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA) said on Wednesday that meetings will be held with the Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS), the Air Force and the Agency for Defense Development on the start of mass production through Thursday.

Development of the MUAV, the nation's first strategic unmanned aerial vehicle capable of reconnaissance at an altitude of ten to 12 kilometers, began in 2008 before it was assessed to be suitable for deployment with the completion of defense standardization in 2022.

Last December, the procurement agency signed a contract worth 471-point-seven billion won, or around 353 million U.S. dollars, with Korean Air, LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Systems for the mass production.

The agency expects force integration of the MUAV to facilitate the military's groundbreaking development of independent surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

It also anticipated that the MUAV will be used by the Coast Guard and fire authorities after some remodeling and redevelopment, with further contributions to the nation's defense exports.