Busan: A suicide drone crashed into the sea after launch during a combat test earlier this week due to a defect in its launch tube, its manufacturer said Friday. The loitering munition under development by the military was launched from the 14,000-ton Marado amphibious assault ship and was set to strike a boat in waters near the southern port city on Tuesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the drone plunged into the sea twice seconds after the launch, caused by "misalignment" in the left door of the lower part of the launch tube, as reported by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). The misalignment resulted in an imbalance in the repulsive force, prompting the drone to lose balance and turn all the way rightward before crashing into the sea.

"The drone and the overall system were found to be operating normally," an ADD official stated. The official added that the agency suspected the misalignment occurred during the assembly process or when the launcher was being moved, and they are currently investigating the exact cause of the incident.

This incident marked the first time such a problem arose during the test run of the suicide drone, although the same launch tube had been used on several occasions previously. Despite this setback, the ADD announced it has no plans to conduct an additional maritime test of the loitering munition, as it has already secured the core technology related to the drone's operation.

The drone, which features a 3-meter wingspan, is designed to simultaneously perform reconnaissance, surveillance, and strike missions while remaining airborne for over 10 hours.