March 19 (Asia Today) -- Iran's expanding use of low-cost drones and missile systems is exposing vulnerabilities in traditional air defense strategies, raising concerns for navies including South Korea's, analysts said Thursday.
The evolving threat centers on so-called "swarm attacks," in which large numbers of inexpensive drones are deployed simultaneously to overwhelm defenses designed for high-value targets.
Iran's Shahed-136 suicide drone is estimated to cost about $20,000 per unit, while interceptor missiles such as SM-2 or South Korea's Cheongung-II can cost millions of dollars each.
Analysts warn that such cost asymmetry could deplete defensive missile stockpiles before more advanced threats, such as ballistic missiles, are launched.
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