Korean Air Accelerates Next-Generation High-Speed Unmanned Target Drone Development... Aims for Deployment-Ready Status by 2028

Replacing Imported Target Drones through Localization of Core Components

Korean Air is accelerating the development of next-generation unmanned aerial vehicles by equipping high-speed unmanned target drones with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to maximize swarm control and mission autonomy.

Next-Generation High-Speed Unmanned Target Drone. Korean Air

Korean Air announced on March 26 that it successfully completed the System Requirement Review (SRR) for the "Domestic Development Project for Subsonic Unmanned Target Drones" at the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, with key officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Navy, the Air Force, and the Agency for Defense Development in attendance. This achievement comes four months after Korean Air was awarded the project by DAPA in November of last year and conducted subsequent research and development. The core objective of this project is to localize key components such as the subsonic unmanned target drone airframe, control and command equipment, and launchers, thereby replacing imported target drones.

The SRR held on this day further demonstrated Korean Air's capabilities in unmanned aerial vehicle design. The high-speed unmanned target drone under development boasts flight performance at Mach 0.6 (approximately 735 km/h), the highest level in Korea. Because this requires highly advanced high-speed flight control technology, Korean Air plans to mobilize its accumulated expertise in unmanned aerial vehicle development to roll out a prototype and complete its maiden flight by next year.

Korean Air aims to maximize swarm control and mission autonomy by equipping its high-speed unmanned target drones with advanced AI technology. The company is also working on implementing open technology that allows modular sensors and equipment to be attached and operated according to mission requirements, significantly enhancing the cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicles.

Korean Air is focusing on developing high-speed unmanned target drones that are ready for immediate deployment by 2028. The company intends to make these drones a key stepping stone for the "Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) Combat System" and the "Fighter Collaboration Multi-Purpose Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (SUCA)" projects, both of which the Korean military aims to operationalize in the early 2030s.

A Korean Air official stated, "The combination of high-speed unmanned target drone design and AI technology is an essential gateway for K-Defense to secure a significant technological lead in the global market. Korean Air will expedite the localization of the high-speed unmanned target drone system, a national strategic asset, to bolster our military's combat capabilities and enhance the global competitiveness of K-Defense."

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