The drone industry in 2025 is facing a reckoning. Consumer markets are struggling. Delivery companies are folding. But one sector is absolutely booming: defense.
Major venture capital firms are shifting investments away from commercial drone applications toward military and government contracts. Companies that once focused on civilian markets are pivoting hard toward defense. With the “first full-scale drone war” unfolding in Ukraine, militaries are adjusting how they think about drones.
PABLO AIR, a South Korean drone company that made its name setting world records with spectacular drone light shows, is now applying that same swarm technology to develop military drones and software.
Small drones are reshaping modern warfare
Years ago, military drones were massive aircraft — just without a person inside. These days, the drones that were dismissed as “toys” a decade ago are used in battlefields. As largely documented by the war in Ukraine, a $500 DIY drone can now destroy an $82.5 million F-35 fighter jet.
Ukraine’s “Spider’s Web” operation demonstrated this new reality, evidenced by data provided to The Drone Girl from Dedrone by Axon. Using 117 explosive drones concealed in cargo trucks, Ukrainian forces inflicted an estimated $7 billion in damage on Russian nuclear-capable bombers across five regions. The total operational cost was roughly $234,000. That’s approximately $30,000 in defender losses for every $1 spent on the attack.
As the war in Ukraine has shown, both sides have pivoted heavily to smaller, cheaper first-person view (FPV) drones. Ukraine sidelined expensive systems like the Bayraktar TB2 — which proved increasingly vulnerable to Russian air defenses — and instead turned to smaller, domestically-made aircraft built from ad-hoc workshops nationwide.
In 2024, the Ukrainian government committed $2 billion to the production of FPV drones. According to Ukrainska Pravda, there are 200 suppliers across the country using easily accessible components and repurposed munitions, often taken from landmines and rocket-propelled grenades.
This is the battlefield context in which PABLO AIR is introducing its defense solutions.
Enter the PabloM S10s: tactical loitering munition
PABLO AIR’s flagship military product is the PabloM S10s, which the company describes as a tactical loitering munition independently developed in-house.
In military speak, a “loitering munition” is essentially a drone that can perform reconnaissance, identify targets and then become a weapon itself by executing strike missions.Consider it a combination of a surveillance drone and a guided missile. It’s also reusable if it doesn’t need to engage a target.
The S10s is a modular combat drone platform capable of performing reconnaissance and strike missions simultaneously. It’s not just about surveillance or just about attack — it’s about integrating both capabilities into a single, affordable platform.
Here are the key specs of the PabloM S10s:
Performance:
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (about 93 mph)
- Flight range: 38 km (about 24 miles)
- Flight time: Over 30 minutes
- Maximum payload: 1 kg
Physical characteristics:
- Empty weight: 3.2 kg (with battery)
- Dimensions: 1,300mm x 1,032mm x 225mm
Payload: Warhead plus nose modules (modular and interchangeable)
4 key features of the S10s
PABLO AIR highlights four main selling points for the S10s, and each one addresses a specific military need:
1. Maximized combat capability through swarm operations
The same swarm drone technology that PABLO AIR’s light show drones to fly in beautiful sync is also what allows multiple S10s units to execute simultaneous or staggered attacks from multiple angles.
Swarm strikes can neutralize and suppress enemy defense systems more effectively than single-drone attacks. Even if defenders shoot down some drones, others get through. And the cognitive load on defenders trying to track and target multiple incoming threats simultaneously is enormous.
2. Rapidly replaceable modular mission equipment
The S10s is built using the K-MOSA (Korean Modular Open Systems Approach) framework. In short, that means it’s a modular design, so various payloads (e.g. cameras, night vision sensors, warhead types) can all be quickly swapped out depending on the specific mission requirements.
3. Low-cost, high-speed mass production
PABLO AIR made the S10s using foam board material, which allows for simple assembly and rapid large-scale production. Though that may seem cheap compared to carbon fiber or advanced composites, that’s exactly what you want in a system where some units will be lost in combat.
4. AI usage
AI is the hot word these days, and these drones certainly do leverage AI to automatically generate surveillance paths and process real-time visual data. The benefits?
Reduces operator workload: One operator can potentially manage multiple drones instead of piloting each one manually.
Maintains effectiveness under electronic warfare: If communication is jammed, the drone can continue its mission autonomously.
Enables swarm tactics: Autonomous path generation is what makes true swarm operations possible at scale.
Improves accuracy: AI-based terminal guidance can adjust for target movement and improve hit probability.
All that tech has earned PABLO AIR recognition. In June 2023, PABLO AIR received a commendation from the Ministry of National Defense for contributions to the drone industry in the Republic of Korea, indicating government support for their defense initiatives.
How PABLO AIR compares to other defense drone makers
U.S.-based drone companies like Red Cat (which acquired FlightWave Aerospace Systems and their Edge 130 tricopter) and Skydio (which killed its consumer drone business to focus on defense) have advantages in the U.S. market due to NDAA compliance and Blue UAS approval. However, PABLO AIR, as a South Korean drone company, should be able to qualify for similar trusted supplier status given the alliance relationship.
That stands in sharp contrast to Chinese drone companies that can often undercut on price, but that also face increasing restrictions in Western markets due to security concerns.
PABLO AIR, being from an allied nation (South Korea), holds these strengths and an additional advantage with its swarm drone technology—proven through record-breaking drone light shows and validated through joint development and demonstrations with the South Korean military.
The future of small military drones
Current geopolitical tensions and the lessons from Ukraine suggest that demand for systems like the PabloM S10s will only increase. NATO allies have already committed to raising defense spending to 5% of GDP — more than double the previous target. The EU’s €800 billion ‘ReArm’ initiative specifically lists drone and counter-UAS systems as a “pressing capability priority.”
As recent conflicts have shown, a low cost drone might be the new king of the battlefield. PABLO AIR’s S10s and its swarm technology is one to watch.
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