[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ] “We will open a new chapter toward future security by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) that connects dispersed information to understand battlefield situations and enables autonomous decision-making and action on the ground.”

Yang Seung-hyun, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION(402030), made these remarks during a presentation titled “20 Years of Defense AI: Turning the Page” at the “5th Conan Defense AI Summit” held in Seoul on the 13th. Based on the defense AI business experience accumulated over the past 20 years, KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION plans to target the next-generation defense AI market by focusing on two core pillars: intelligence convergence and unmanned autonomous technology.

COO Yang identified “information connectivity and fusion,” “situational awareness,” and “rapid operational response” as the core competitive strengths of future defense AI. He explained that as the battlefield expands beyond land, sea, and air to include space, cyberspace, and the electromagnetic spectrum, the ability to integrate data scattered across individual systems and link it to rapid decision-making has become increasingly important.

He assessed the situation, stating, “Although data on the battlefield is abundant, it is not connected into a single whole,” and added, “We cannot respond to future wars with information scattered across different entities and systems.”

To this end, KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION is advancing its future defense AI strategy along two pillars: “Intelligence” and “Autonomy.” Intelligence refers to AI that connects and fuses dispersed information to understand the situation, while Autonomy refers to unmanned, autonomous AI that supports the decision-making and mission execution of field equipment.

On this day, KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION unveiled for the first time “Conan ArgoX,” an all-source information fusion and analysis platform set to launch soon. ArgoX is a platform that connects and analyzes data collected from various sources, including video, signals, geospatial data, human intelligence, meteorological and measurement data, and open-source intelligence (OSINT).

It supports the entire process, from information collection and normalization to data linking and fusion, as well as situational understanding and analysis. Its core function is to comprehensively analyze information dispersed across different systems to enhance understanding of the battlefield situation and support decision-making.

Projects to apply the technology in actual defense operations are also underway. KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION is currently building an automated OSINT collection and analysis service through a project with the Ministry of National Defense. The company plans to expand the scope of the technology’s application to include the integrated analysis of information from various sources in the future.

In the field of unmanned autonomous AI, the company is focusing on three areas: autonomous flight AI, anti-drone AI, and space AI.

KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION has been developing AI pilot technology since 2023 and plans to launch an autonomous flight drone product in the first half of next year in collaboration with NANO. Co., Ltd. The company is also developing anti-drone AI technology to detect and analyze threats from swarm drones and support defensive decision-making.

In the space AI sector, the company is advancing edge AI technology that directly filters and analyzes data from satellites. The vision is to process data generated by satellites on-site to reduce communication burdens and minimize response delays.

COO Yang emphasized, “Data on the battlefield originates from equipment,” adding, “We need unmanned, autonomous AI that can make its own decisions within the equipment without stopping, even if communications are cut off or cloud connections are interrupted.”

KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION plans to validate these technologies in defense operations before expanding into the global market.

Starting with a project to build an integrated search engine for the Ministry of National Defense in 2006, KONAN TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATION has carried out approximately 110 defense informatization and intelligence projects, including the Navy’s integrated search system, video analysis for the Marine Corps’ unmanned aerial systems, and improvements to the Air Force’s integrated management system.

COO Yang said, “Over the past 20 years, we have accumulated experience and expertise in the defense sector regarding which technologies actually work and what our customers need,” adding, “With intelligence and autonomy as our two pillars, we will implement AI that understands the battlefield and performs missions autonomously, thereby opening the next chapter in future defense AI.”