South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) selected Korean Air as a preferred bidder for its project to develop a fleet of unmanned systems that will leverage manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) to as loyal wingmen to manned aircraft.
The stealth UAV squadron technology is being developed for the first time in Korea as a part of the ADD’s “Future Challenge Defense Technology R&D Project” to develop new weapon systems.
The ADD began developing the UAV squadron in November last year and has completed the basic design. The agency plans to work on the detailed design with Korean Air.
Korean Air will develop a MUM-T system in which one manned aircraft and three to four stealth UAVs can carry out missions simultaneously. The squadron of UAVs will not only support and escort manned aircraft, but will also be able to perform its own missions including surveillance, electronic interference tactics, and precise shooting.
Korean Air has continued to acquire core stealth UAV technologies by participating in projects such as the joint development of stealth UAVs with the ADD in 2010 in which it succeeded in a test flight for the first time in Korea. Korean Air also joined a project last year to research and develop technology for broadband stealth UAVs for the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT).
