Hanwha Aerospace Unveils First Domestic Drone Engine Prototypes, Eyes Next-Gen KF-21 Engine

Hanwha Aerospace (012450.KS) unveiled the first prototypes of two drone engines developed with independent domestic technology together with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and threw down the gauntlet to develop an advanced engine to be mounted on the next-generation KF-21 fighter jet.

Hanwha Aerospace held the "Ground Test Launch Ceremony for First Prototype of Domestic Long-Life Aircraft Engine" at its Changwon No. 1 plant in South Gyeongsang Province on Monday, unveiling a 5,500-pound engine for a low-observable unmanned wingman and a 1,400-horsepower turboprop engine for a medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (MUAV).

Domestic companies have succeeded in developing short-life aircraft engines such as missile engines under ADD leadership and are proceeding to mass production, but this is the first time a prototype of a long-life engine capable of more than several thousand hours of use has been completed.

About 300 officials attended the event, including ADD President Lee Gun-wan, Jung Ki-young, head of the Future Combat Power Program Bureau at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Kim Sung-joong, head of the Planning and Management Staff at Air Force Headquarters, and Kim Sun, head of Hanwha Aerospace's aviation business division.

The low-observable unmanned wingman is a next-generation unmanned aerial system that performs various missions such as reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and attack in conjunction with the KF-21 fighter jet. The MUAV is expected to contribute to improving the Korean military's intelligence capabilities by flying for extended periods and monitoring and reconnoitering wide areas.

The engines unveiled this time are successfully undergoing ground test runs after completing assembly. Once development is completed, Korea will achieve localization of drones by securing not only the airframe, flight control, and mission equipment, but also the engine—called the "heart" of the aircraft—with independent domestic technology.

"The completion of this first prototype of a domestic aircraft engine and the launch of ground testing is a true beginning toward securing aircraft engine technology," said Kim Jin-hyung, principal researcher at ADD. "Our research team will do its best until the day when aircraft engines developed with our own hands soar powerfully into the skies of the Republic of Korea and compete proudly on the world stage."

The industry assessed the aircraft engine development as a turning point that could enhance the self-reliance of the entire domestic aviation industry. The reason is that mounting domestic engines allows free expansion of the defense export market without sanctions or permission from other countries. Major countries developing aircraft engines strictly control technology transfer and exports through various regulations such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Even when an engine is imported from abroad, approval from the original manufacturing country is required for related maintenance and upgrades, as well as for exporting aircraft equipped with that engine. A representative example is that the KF-21 and FA-50, which are equipped with U.S.-made engines, cannot be exported independently.

In addition, the industry forecast that global export competitiveness will be strengthened through vertical integration of aircraft, engines, avionics, and armaments. Because price, performance, and maintenance conditions can be flexibly adjusted, added value can be maximized over the long term through maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business after aircraft sales.

Based on its engine development capabilities, Hanwha Aerospace will move forward with developing a 10,000-pound turbofan engine. The 10,000-pound engine is a core engine mounted on passenger aircraft and long-endurance drones. Unlike the 5,500-pound engine, which uses most of the air for combustion, the turbofan uses only part of the incoming air for combustion and passes the rest to the rear, giving it high fuel efficiency and high output.

Furthermore, the company will also take on the development of an advanced 24,000-pound engine. The 24,000-pound engine is considered the core of the 6th-generation KF-21 fighter jet, which will feature stealth capabilities in the future, and a review for pursuing the development project will be conducted from August this year to early next year. Hanwha Aerospace also announced a plan to invest 5.5 trillion won to develop the 24,000-pound engine while deriving variants such as engines for naval vessels, securing at least 1,500 units by 2060.

"Based on the experience and technological capabilities Hanwha Aerospace has accumulated, we will rapidly narrow the technology gap with advanced countries and focus all our capabilities on achieving self-reliance in Korea's aircraft engine technology," stressed Kim Jong-ho, head of Hanwha Aerospace's Advanced Engine Business Team.