South Korean Company DAON Unveils SWARM-X Strike UAVs for Drone Swarms

DAON, a South Korean company known for its drone swarm light shows, has developed high-speed strike UAVs for military use that are capable of flying in swarms.

Defense Advancement demonstrated the company’s drones capable of dropping mines and grenades.

DAON unveiled the XV600 and XV1200 vertical takeoff aircraft from its SWARM-X series.

SWARM-X is a specialized brand of next-generation swarm drones.

According to the manufacturer, the XV600 is capable of operating at the squad or platoon level and can carry a combat payload for precision strikes on targets while flying at high speeds.

Meanwhile, the fixed-wing XV1200 is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, as well as carrying a payload in the form of a mortar round.

DAON plans to develop a combat mission system that integrates reconnaissance swarm drones and kamikaze drones based on Edge AI. The foundation of this system is autonomous guidance technology, in which swarms of reconnaissance drones detect key targets, such as combat units, tanks, and armored vehicles, while kamikaze drones strike them.

“We plan to implement a universal system that integrates image processing, flight control, mission execution, and communication functions with artificial intelligence, equipping drones with Edge AI semiconductors based on neural processors,” said Yang Chang-yol, CEO of DAON Inc.

DAON Inc. is a company specializing in the development of drone swarm control platforms. In the civilian sector, the company supplies drones for light shows, utilizing its proprietary swarm interaction technologies.

Currently, the company is also developing the D-TMS (DAON Traffic Management System)—an autonomous air traffic management system based on blockchain and AI-powered swarm flight control technologies. It is designed to proactively prevent security threats through autonomous communication between drones, as well as to avoid collisions and hacker attacks.

Ukrainian defense companies developed and presented drone swarm technology as early as 2024.