[비즈한국] Poongsan103140, a renowned powerhouse in ammunition, is expanding its business by selecting drones as its future growth engine. It is expected to enter government project bids by combining its self-developed ammunition with drone technology.
According to the defense industry on the 20th, the Army is pursuing a rapid procurement project to adopt Poongsan's 'MCD-2' drone. The Army's project is the 'Micro Suicide Drone-I' program, aimed at securing attack drones to reinforce the strike capabilities of small squads and enhance their mission execution efficiency. The drone, which operates by carrying 40mm DPICM submunitions or hand grenades (such as M67, K413, etc.) without needing a separate warhead, is expected to have its project implementation strategy established in June.
Poongsan, selected as the nation's first defense contractor in 1973, is a representative defense firm that successfully localized ammunition production. Since establishing its own Defense Technology Research Institute in 2011, it has focused on R&D investment. Poongsan possesses an in-house system capable of handling all processes from raw material procurement, development, and design to manufacturing, inspection, and shipping. The ammunition it produces ranges from small-caliber rifle rounds to large-caliber howitzer shells. Its business scope includes not only conventional ammunition but also dual-purpose and smart munitions.
Poongsan is preparing for the future defense market with a two-track strategy involving ammunition and drones. The field Poongsan is newly challenging is drones. It is developing a variety of high-power, high-efficiency military drones, including multi-purpose combat drones, ammunition-dropping drones, micro-intelligent drones, and 40mm suicide drones.
Poongsan is working to maximize the synergy between its ammunition and drone sectors through research into integrating the two. At the Drone Show Korea held in Busan last February, the company unveiled its lineup of drone-specific warheads and fuzes for the first time. Poongsan has begun developing ammunition for drones as part of a civil-military project. Including drone-compatible munitions completed as part of national R&D and those currently under development, there are about 10 types in its portfolio. It plans to conduct combat experiments utilizing its own drone munitions this coming November.
The most notable of Poongsan's drones is the multi-purpose combat drone, produced in two models: the MCD-2 and MCD-7. The MCD-2, intended for small-squad use, is a compact unit weighing 2kg with a 10-minute operation time, a 400g payload capacity, and a 2km operational radius. The MCD-7, for battalion-level use, can carry up to 3kg of mission equipment. Notably, the MCD-2 drone features a built-in electro-optical (EO) sensor, allowing operators to identify and strike targets while they are in cover.
The next project Poongsan is developing is the Micro Intelligent Drone (MID). It is a 1kg ultra-small drone system that is the world’s first capable of autonomous flight in indoor environments where communication and GPS signals are blocked. It is currently under development as a civil-military dual-use technology project scheduled until October 2028. It is designed to enter underground structures and facilities during disaster scenarios to carry out rescue operations. It can also acquire intelligence through prior reconnaissance of interior facilities and passages when conducting clearing operations in bunkers, tunnels, or caves.
To achieve autonomous flight in environments like tunnels, bunkers, nuclear/missile facilities, subways, and caves, the MID uses ultra-small, lightweight, low-power 3D LiDAR and optical sensors such as EO/IR to generate 3D maps of indoor environments. Additionally, AI-based software can visualize and mark enemy personnel, explosives, or toxic substances on the map.