South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development and Korean Air have rolled out a technology demonstrator for a new unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) at an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) show in Busan.
The aircraft is named Low Observable Wingman UAV System (LOWUS) and closely resembles previous illustrations and models produced by Korean Air.
The aircraft features twin canted tails, an engine intake above the fuselage, and an air data boom consistent with a test vehicle.
The technology demonstrator closely resembles the KUC-LW UCAV concept that Korean Air displayed at its stand at the 2023 Seoul ADEX defence show.
At Seoul ADEX, Korean Air indicated that the aircraft will feature a high level of autonomy. It is seen performing missions such as strike, multi-platform EW, and ISR. The KUS-LW model suggested that it will have weapons bays on either side of the fuselage.
The ADD says that a test flight of LOWUS will take place by the end of 2025, with the aircraft to start manned-unmanned tests in 2027. These tests will see a pilots in manned aircraft controlling LOWUS in the air.
The ADD adds that it is working with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to develop an active electronically scanned array radar for unmanned aircraft such as LOWUS.
“We plan to respond to changes in future battlefield by forming a composite combat system between manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft in the future,” says senior ADD researcher Park Jun-Seong.
“We will do our best to enter the leading ranks in the field of manned and unmanned fighter composite systems, where fierce competition is taking place worldwide, in cooperation with domestic defence companies.”
In August 2022, Seoul named Korean Air as the “preferred bidder” in a programme to develop a low observable unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to work with manned aircraft in combat. The programme falls under the auspices of an ADD programme to develop new weapon systems and envisages the development of “stealth UAV squadrons”.