Military Aircraft Are Reborn Here

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Korean Air became the first domestic private company to enter the aircraft manufacturing industry. In its early days, it focused on assembling complete aircraft. The 500MD military helicopter was its main product. It established a mass production system through a contract with the American specialist company Hughes. Former President Park Chung-hee also visited the Tech Center at the time and showed deep interest. Since then, Korean Air has also excelled in military aircraft maintenance. To date, it has maintained over 4,500 aircraft primarily used by the South Korean and U.S. militaries. To explore the history of military aircraft, I visited the Korean Air Tech Center located in Daejeo-dong, Gangseo-gu, Busan on the 22nd of last month.

As the plane approached Gimhae Airport, an announcement was made inside the cabin stating, "Photography is prohibited." Looking out the window, I could see four Air Force multipurpose aerial refueling transport aircraft Cygnus (KC-330) parked at the Air Force 5th Air Mobility Wing apron. These were the transport planes that repatriated the 34th Cheonghae Unit last month. Next to the transport planes stood two Air Force command and control aircraft ‘Peace Eye’ (E-737) side by side. This hinted at the reason for the photography ban.

After landing at the airport and traveling about 10 minutes by car, I arrived at the main gate of the Korean Air Tech Center. The Tech Center was enormous, befitting its reputation as Asia’s largest maintenance base. It covered 710,000 square meters (about 210,000 pyeong) with 66 factory buildings.

Entering the 5th factory, where overhaul maintenance of military aircraft is conducted, a P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft used by our Navy to detect submarines was parked. However, it was not the robust figure seen in the field but rather a gray skeleton with only the frame assembled.

A company official explained, "Patrol aircraft that have been on missions for 5 to 6 years undergo complete disassembly and inspection during overhaul maintenance. After 200 days of inspection, the aircraft can perform like a newly born patrol plane." The official added, "Starting with the F-16 fighter jet, earlier models like the F-15 and F-4 require overhaul maintenance, but the later-produced F-16 and F-35 undergo partial maintenance, saving time and costs."

Next to the anti-submarine patrol aircraft were two fighter jets without wings on both sides. Compared to the patrol aircraft, they were half the size, making one wonder if they were really fighter jets. However, these were F-16 fighter jets, the mainstay used by the U.S. military stationed in Japan. The F-16s deployed at Misawa Air Base in Japan flew to Korean Air’s Gimhae factory for overhaul maintenance to extend their service life.

Entering the factory about 100 meters away, a CN-235 transport aircraft was being repainted. Employees connected to ropes hanging from the ceiling climbed onto the aircraft to paint it, resembling stuntmen in an action movie. Painting one CN-235 transport aircraft consumes about 60 liters of paint. Small fighters like the F-15 use special plastic pellets to strip old paint, but large transport aircraft are stripped using special chemical agents.

In the 3rd factory stood the A-10 attack aircraft, known as the ‘Tank Killer.’ Developed solely for Close Air Support (CAS), it supports ground troops. The U.S. military initially planned to retire the A-10 but decided to continue using it until 2030 due to its outstanding performance. Next to the A-10’s fuselage were the canopy, the cockpit cover, and various wires piled up.

Ryu Min-ryeol, head of the Military Aircraft Business Division, said, "For the A-10 model, overhaul maintenance includes installing newly manufactured main wings. Even models produced in 1976 can have their lifespan extended by 2,000 hours after passing through here."

Inside the factory, there were not only fixed-wing aircraft but also rotary-wing helicopters. The CH-53 large transport helicopter used by the U.S. military was completely stripped down. Since all parts attached to the body had been dismantled, it was hard to recognize the model until a company official identified it. The CH-53 large transport helicopters used by the U.S. military on the mainland and Hawaii are transported to Korean Air by large transport aircraft (C-5) for overhaul maintenance. The CH-53s stationed at the U.S. Air Force base in Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, where the U.S. military is stationed, fly in directly.

Looking inside the second-floor windows within the factory, U.S. military personnel were visible. Since they maintain U.S. military aircraft, about 30 employees from the U.S. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) are always on standby.

A company official said, "Since we maintain 50% of the U.S. military aircraft stationed in the Asia-Pacific region here, the U.S. military regards this place as important. They even request training on performance improvement methods from the U.S. mainland."

At the far end of the factory was the Guardrail (RC-12X) reconnaissance aircraft used by the U.S. Forces Korea. The RC-12 is an aircraft that collects SIGINT (signals intelligence) and provides real-time enemy information, enabling field commanders to accurately grasp battlefield situations as if looking at the palm of their hand. The RC-12 was completely disassembled for overhaul maintenance, so none of the internal equipment was visible.

Passing the RC-12, I could see the CH-47D Chinook helicopter bearing the emblem of our Air Force, the UH-60 transport helicopter used by the Army, and the Lynx helicopter used by the Navy all at once. It was a fascinating sight, like visiting a helicopter department store.

Upon leaving Korean Air, I noticed a military aircraft taking off from Gimhae Airport. It filled me with pride, thinking that thanks to this place, our military aircraft can continue to protect our airspace without problems today.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.