South Korea’s military is set to expand drone skills across the force by offering drone operation training to all conscripts through a new “500,000 drone warrior” project, the defense ministry said.

Under the initiative, South Korea will allocate roughly 33 billion won (about $22.9 million) in the next budget cycle to procure around 11,000 small commercial drones used for training. The funding also supports training infrastructure and instructor pipelines needed to scale the program.

The plan follows defense minister Ahn Gyu-back’s earlier proposal that every conscript should have the opportunity to earn drone piloting credentials during mandatory service. The effort is intended to strengthen combat capabilities using drones, while also building a workforce with practical skills that can support the domestic drone industry after service.

The program’s emphasis on hands-on training is designed around building drone operating capability across ranks, rather than treating drone use as limited to a specialized group.