“The Russia-Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the nature of warfare, significantly increasing the role of drones. As a result, drone companies are expanding beyond their traditional focus on reconnaissance into both offensive and defensive applications.”
PRENEU, a South Korean drone specialist, is expanding its military drone business beyond reconnaissance into offensive and defensive systems. At the same time, the company is advancing AI-based autonomous flight technologies and establishing localized production capabilities overseas as it accelerates its expansion into the global defense market.
Founded in 2017, PRENEU specializes in the development and manufacturing of industrial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), flight control systems, and integrated avionics systems. The company has supplied approximately 500 drones across both commercial and defense applications, accumulating extensive operational experience in diverse field environments.
“Developing a high-performance drone platform alone is not enough,” said Jongkyung Lee, CEO of PRENEU. “What matters is having real-world operational experience in the field.”
Expanding from Reconnaissance into Offensive and Defensive Systems
PRENEU has developed and supplied reconnaissance drones, airfield surveillance and security drones, and training drones to military and related organizations. Going forward, the company plans to focus on the development of offensive drone systems and large fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft.
The company is also responding to growing demand for counter-drone (Counter-UAS) systems. Counter-drone systems are designed to detect and track hostile drones and neutralize them through measures such as electronic jamming or interception.
PRENEU is currently developing an integrated counter-drone defense system capable of performing the full operational cycle, from drone detection, tracking, and identification to countermeasures.
Advancing AI-Based Autonomous Flight Technology
PRENEU is also developing AI-based autonomous flight technologies to enhance the capabilities of its offensive and defensive systems. These technologies enable drones to recognize their surroundings and obstacles during flight and support mission execution based on changing operational conditions.
CEO Lee currently assesses PRENEU’s autonomous flight technology at Level 3. Using autonomous vehicles as an analogy, Level 3 represents the ability to operate at high speed in relatively flat, obstacle-free environments. Level 4 represents a more advanced stage in which the system can independently determine optimal routes and identify targets.
“We aim to complete the development of Level 4 autonomous flight technology by the end of 2027 and expect it to be ready for deployment in real-world environments around 2028,” Lee said.
Expanding Overseas Through Kazakhstan
In August, PRENEU established a joint venture in Kazakhstan to support local production and has begun building a local assembly and manufacturing system.
“Drone operations do not end with simply supplying the product. They require training, operational support, and after-sales services, which makes establishing local production capabilities a more sustainable approach,” Lee said. “We plan to use Kazakhstan as a strategic base for expanding into the broader Central Asian market.”
Alongside its expansion through Kazakhstan, PRENEU is pursuing drone exports to Mongolia and exploring business opportunities in Uzbekistan. In Africa, the company has previous experience exporting drones to Mozambique and Ethiopia.
Revenue Growth, Production Expansion, and IPO Plans
PRENEU’s financial performance has continued to grow alongside the expansion of its business.
Revenue increased from KRW 4 billion in 2022 to KRW 8 billion in 2024 and KRW 11.3 billion in 2025. The company expects revenue to exceed KRW 25 billion in 2026.
To strengthen its technological competitiveness, PRENEU has invested more than one-third of its annual revenue in research and development each year since 2022. The company is targeting profitability in 2027.
PRENEU is also preparing to expand its manufacturing capacity to meet anticipated growth in demand. By 2028, the company aims to establish domestic production capacity exceeding 10,000 units annually and is considering utilizing its existing manufacturing facility in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, as part of this expansion.
The company is also preparing for an initial public offering (IPO). PRENEU is targeting a listing on South Korea’s KOSDAQ market in the second quarter of 2027, with Korea Investment & Securities serving as the lead underwriter.