Korean Air was selected on August 12 as the preferred bidder for the Korean Agency for Defense Development’s (ADD) “stealth UAV squadron development” project. Korean Air has received high scores for its technology in the first stage of the bidding process.
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 manned-unmanned teaming 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 a 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).