Sensors have emerged as the leading technology in modern warfare.

The ‘Gulf War’, or operation ‘Desert Storm’ in 1991, marked a turning point with the introduction of cutting-edge weapons such as the F-117 stealth fighter and Apache attack helicopter.

Post-Gulf War, many military experts predicted high-tech warfare, emphasizing the role of advanced sensor technology in shaping the outcome of battles.

Sensors function as the sensory organs of weapons, aiding various military equipment, including satellites, aircraft, submarines, and missiles.

Their applications range from reconnaissance to location and speed measurement, facilitating information transmission on the battlefield.

The development of advanced sensor technology equips weapon systems with state-of-art sensory organs, enhancing both offensive and defensive capabilities.

The Korean military is actively working on new sensors for ground, maritime, aerial, and space warfare.

These include unmanned combat vehicle navigation, high-sensitivity optical and infrared cameras, LiDAR sensors, acoustic detection for submarines, and non-acoustic detection using marine phosphorescence.

In the aerial field, advancements involve Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) and quantum radars, as well as high-precision, ultra-lightweight navigation sensors for missiles and drones.

Ongoing and continuous developments in wide-band/high-resolution optical sensors and laser communication sensor technology aim at early detection of missile launches around the Korean Peninsula.

The impact of sensor advancements goes beyond technological progress; it transforms conventional combat tactics and strategies.

The 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict exemplified a high-tech, network-centered form of warfare, with the Ukrainian military utilizing advanced sensors, including low-orbit satellites and reconnaissance/attack drones, for real-time information transmission on Russian military movements to frontline units.

The Ukrainian conflict underscored that advanced sensors themselves become formidable weapons, influencing combat strategies based on the varying levels of weaponry among nations.

While possession of high-tech weaponry, as evident in the Israel-Hamas conflict, doesn’t guarantee victory, it enhances combat capabilities, provides strategic advantages, and elevates a nation’s military influence globally.

Therefore, innovation in advanced sensor-based weapon systems technology is a core element shaping the dynamics and coercion of modern warfare.

SeokJun Kim

Grade 12

Woodberry Forest School