"Driving the Advancement of the Drone Industry Through Localization and Commercialization of Drone Components"
August 5, 2025 (Tue) 00:11:41 — By Lee Jeong-a, Reporter (lja@newsmaker.or.kr)
With strengthened export controls on Chinese-made components and escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, the global drone industry and military markets are facing significant turmoil. In this environment, South Korean company Vololand is leading the localization of core drone components, ushering in the era of “K-Drone.”
Achieving Localization of Core Technologies Leading the K-Drone Era
Vololand Co., Ltd., which has spearheaded the localization of core drone components previously monopolized by Chinese and Taiwanese companies, has successfully developed critical drone parts — including flight controllers (FC), electronic speed controllers (ESC), GPS modules, and communication modules — using purely in-house technology. Leveraging its fully domestic technological capabilities, Vololand is preparing to reshape the landscape of the global drone market.
One of Vololand’s flagship innovations is its NarinFC, a flight controller developed entirely with its own technology and gaining significant attention in the global market. The name “Narin” comes from a pure Korean word meaning “bestowed from the sky.” All Vololand drones are equipped with NarinFC, delivering exceptional performance.
CEO Ahn Sungho proudly states, “It is the first domestically produced product to be officially sold in the global market, with its excellence and stability recognized worldwide. In consideration of U.S. exports, not a single component from China or Taiwan is used in NarinFC.”
Vololand has also completed the development of other key components, including ESCs, GPS modules, power modules, and communication modules, and is undergoing certification procedures.
Another strength of the NarinFC is its flight record destruction technology. Using three physical methods — high-voltage incineration, chemical capsule detonation, and battery ignition — the system completely destroys hardware such as memory and chips containing critical flight and mission data, ensuring irrecoverable data erasure. This technology has been patented domestically, with overseas patent applications underway, and is recognized as an essential safeguard in preventing sensitive information leaks in the event of a drone capture during military operations.
▲ CEO Ahn Sungho
In the field of GPS navigation — a core element of drone flight — Vololand has developed the NarinGPS using the RTK method, which provides centimeter-level high-precision positioning corrections. This represents a major leap from the ±15-meter error margin of conventional GNSS systems, making it indispensable for both military applications and drone station operations.
To surpass Chinese giant DJI, Vololand has also begun developing high-efficiency motors, ESCs, and battery management systems (BMS), effectively covering nearly all areas of drone component development.
Another key product is the Drone Station, an unmanned system that automates drone operations and serves as critical infrastructure for industrial drone deployment. Vololand offers two models: a charging-type station and a battery-swapping station. The swapping station enables rapid battery replacement within 1–2 minutes, making it particularly effective in emergency situations — such as wildfire monitoring or search and rescue — where continuous operation of multiple drones is required.
Vololand’s drone stations have attracted strong interest in the U.S. and Japan, and the company is pursuing technical meetings to prepare for exports next year. Leveraging this technological excellence, Vololand participated in the Ulsan Ulju County Drone Demonstration City Project, successfully operating a K-Drone delivery service.
Using four 25 kg-class delivery drones equipped with NarinFC, the company provided delivery services to parks and tourist sites such as Ganwoljae (elevation 900m) in Ulju County, earning significant attention. As a result, Vololand was named the top performer among 16 drone delivery operators and received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Award.
Additionally, the company successfully conducted a combat logistics trial delivering up to 50 kg of food supplies to hard-to-reach Army units in mountainous regions using a 150 kg-class heavy-lift drone. These efforts have been credited with revitalizing local economies and establishing safe drone delivery networks. Vololand continues its drone delivery operations in 2025, including demonstration projects in collaboration with major domestic e-commerce companies, positioning itself to lead the full-scale drone delivery era.
Securing Global Drone Market Leadership with Innovative Technology
Vololand is accelerating its entry into the U.S. market, having recently signed a strategic partnership with Hylio, the largest agricultural drone company in the U.S., to jointly develop drone systems for agriculture and defense.
By the end of this year, Vololand plans to supply approximately USD 1 million worth of domestically produced drone components, including flight controllers, to Hylio, and has established a U.S. subsidiary in Georgia to support its North American expansion. Hylio intends to replace its current Chinese-made drone parts with Vololand’s domestic components to improve operational efficiency.
Building on its success in delivery service demonstrations, Vololand is also accelerating the development and improvement of heavy-lift delivery drones. The Hercules, capable of carrying a 50 kg payload, was developed for humanitarian relief missions, with future plans to expand payload capacity to 100 kg and eventually 300 kg. The company is also developing large drone motors for firefighting drones to further increase localization rates.
Currently leading the “Drone Localization” category of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s “Drone Commercialization Support Project,” Vololand has registered over 20 technology patents, earned a T3 grade in TCB technology credit evaluation, and recently secured investment from original technology-focused venture capital firm BLTN Partners, further boosting its business momentum.
CEO Ahn emphasizes, “Through collaboration with various domestic companies, we are accelerating the localization and commercialization of drone components. Going forward, we will aggressively target overseas markets, aiming for a NASDAQ listing in the U.S.”
With its innovative technology and competitive products, Vololand is set to solidify its leadership in the global drone market while driving the advancement of South Korea’s drone industry.
Special Discount Event for NarinFC Exports
In celebration of NarinFC’s official registration with Ardupilot and its export milestone, Vololand will offer a 20% discount on the NarinFC series (H7, H5, H3, X3) for domestic sales from August 1 to September 30. Inquiries can be made via Vololand’s official email.
