[News Today] Probe into unidentified flying objects

[LEAD]

So who attacked the Namu, and with what?

As the government continues its detailed analysis, experts say the location and shape of the damage point to the possibility of a suicide drone or an anti-ship cruise missile.

[REPORT]

The stern of the Korean operated vessel Namu, which has a seven-meter deep tear.

This is the shape of the damaged area, which has most parts bent outwards.

It looks similar to the destroyed part of a bulk carrier attacked by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels

as well as that of a Thai-flagged cargo vessel hit in the Strait of Hormuz.

It is assumed that both ships were attacked by surface-to-ship missiles,

raising the possibility that the Namu was also hit by a missile.

The assumption is strongly backed by a hole 50 centimeters in diameter and the fact that the damaged part is at a low altitude of one to 1.5 meters above sea level.

Shin Jong-woo / Korea Defense and Security Forum

It attacked at a low altitude and created a deep hole, leaving signs of internal explosion, so it is presumed to be a fast flying object like a surface-to-ship missile.

However, it is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that the explosive power was not as high as that of a missile attack.

Two flying objects hit the same spot one after another.

Such precision strikes are possible only with suicide drones equipped with artificial intelligence and navigation technology.

In this region, there have already been cases of such loitering munition attacks on ships in the past.

Medium-sized drones can adjust the amount of explosives to achieve the intended effects of attacks from simple warnings to engine breakdowns and even vessel sinking.

The government is analyzing the engine debris collected at the scene. Experts believe that the remains will serve as key evidence in identifying who and what attacked the Namu.