After wars in Ukraine and Iran, Weflo steps up to enable smarter drone use

A satellite image shows smoke rising from an oil pumping station following a Ukrainian drone attack during the Russia-Ukraine war in Perm, Russia, May 7. Reuters-Yonhap

From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the Iran crisis, drones have emerged as one of the defining weapons of modern warfare, repeatedly used to strike enemy infrastructure and detect hidden hostile forces. In both ongoing conflicts, drones have proven highly effective in inflicting damage at relatively low cost, prompting countries to rethink their military strategy and defense spending.

The volume of drones used so far in both wars is staggering. Some 1.5 million and 1.4 million drones are estimated to have been flown by Russia and Ukraine, respectively, in 2024 alone. The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were responsible for 70 percent of human casualties on both sides. Early last year, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine said it will purchase 4.5 million first-person view drones to further shore up its capabilities.

Iran, meanwhile, has launched over 3,000 drones to deliver asymmetric long-range strikes against United States and Israeli forces. The Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington has estimated Iran’s HESA Shahed-136 suicide drone to be worth about $35,000, far cheaper than the U.S. Patriot missile valued at about $3.9 million.

The critical presence of drones has raised the importance more sustainable UAV use. Instead of deploying them as an expendable asset, methods to maintain them for longer use are now gaining global attention.

Iranian drones are displayed during a ceremony held by the Iranian army's combat organization in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13. Reuters-Yonhap

Against this backdrop, Korean firms — including Weflo, a company based in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province — are moving to develop drone maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) technologies.

Weflo’s technologies are concentrated inside verti-Pit, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based drone pad that automatically detects electrical errors or damaged parts of a sitting UAV without needing a human expert to disassemble and rummage inside the machine. Within 10 seconds, verti-Pit runs a complete noncontact prognosis over 16 checklist items including motor revolutions per minute, broken wire, abnormal battery thermal sign, blade balance, mounting orientation and sensor mounting conditions before takeoff.

Without this kind of automated MRO, inspecting hundreds or thousands of drones would rely on human labor, which is inconsistent and time-consuming. Weflo Founder and CEO Kim Yee-jung said the job is practically impossible, especially during a military operation. The hassle would cause a bottleneck and an operating force would eventually have to fly them without any maintainence or repair at all.

“The most dangerous moment when operating drones is when they take off. Loitering munitions or attack UAVs can malfunction due to errors in propulsion system, battery or communication. If that happens shortly after takeoff and causes drones to drop, it can cause serious damage to friendly forces,” Kim said.

Precise MRO is critical especially when purchasing imported drones, according to Weflo. Without systems or specialists dedicated to blueprints of those machines, operating those drones in a massive number faces a huge risk.

A drone combat soldier under the ROK Army Training and Doctrine Command runs a prognosis on a military drone using Weflo's verti-Pit X Mini during the company's joint drill with the Army at a base in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, from August to December 2025. Courtesy of Weflo

“True military power is decided not by how many drones are purchased, but by how well they can be maintained for further deployment. In the U.S., condition-based maintenance plus (CBM+) has become a standard guideline to improve the availability of existing drones,” Kim said.

Established in 2022, Weflo has secured multiple partnerships with global companies, including Polish defense contractor WB Electronics, American avionic solution firm L2 Aviation, Augusta Regional Airport, and advanced air mobility working groups with NASA and Georgia. From August to December last year, it demonstrated verti-Pit’s effectiveness by testing it with multirotor drones and fixed-wing drones of operated by the drone combat battalion at ROK Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Kim said most countries with military drone capabilities are currently caught between purchasing UAVs and effectively militarizing them. Quality control for drone manufacturers and MRO tasks for drone-operating forces still remain challenging. The difficulty persists even as the Korean Ministry of National Defense said last year that it would secure more than 3,000 military drones by 2030.

MarketsandMarkets Research in India predicted last year that the global military drone market will grow to over $22.8 billion by 2030. Such speculation fuels demands for dependable MRO solutions regardless of brand or purpose.

“Through completion of combat experiments and being selected a defense innovation enterprise, Weflo has verified its technological edge in Korea. We currently aim to supply this prognostic infrastructure compliant with the global-standard CBM+ framework to markets worldwide. We have already established an American subsidiary in San Jose, California, and are advancing collaborations with major U.S. drone airframe manufacturers," Kim said.