South Korea will develop new spy drones that can be loaded on warships near the western maritime border to better surveil North Korea, the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Association (DAPA) announced on Monday.

The announcement of the project comes amid increased military tensions near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un deemed an “illicit” border earlier this month. 

The new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be South Korea’s first homegrown rotary-wing design drones, capable of operation from ships and on land, according to a press release from DAPA on Monday. 

The spy drones