Bone AI Wins Award for Anti-Drone HPM Weapon Tech

Seoul, South Korea — Bone AI, a South Korean defense technology company, announced Wednesday that its research team received the Excellent Technology Award for a paper on the miniaturization of directed high-power microwave (HPM) weapons for anti-drone applications.

The research, published in the Korea Association of Drone Industry (KADIA) journal in December, outlines a method using Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based high-power amplifiers to reduce the size of HPM systems.

According to the paper, miniaturization technology can reduce the weight and volume of HPM components—including elements, batteries, and cooling systems—by 30-60%.

This reduction in size would allow HPM systems to be mounted on military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

HPM technology is intended to neutralize electronic equipment and command-and-control systems without causing civilian casualties.

The deployment of HPM systems in combat environments has been limited by the size of equipment needed to generate sufficient power output.

A second paper by Bone AI researchers received an Innovative Idea Award.

That paper proposed a methodology for using water cannons mixed with ablative, marking, and luminous agents as a low-cost countermeasure against drones, which the researchers stated would not cause civilian damage.

Founded in 2025, Bone AI develops integrated artificial intelligence systems that include robotics hardware, AI control units, and command-and-control software.

CEO DK Lee said the KADIA awards validate the company’s engineering capabilities within the defense sector.