Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is accelerating its efforts to secure technology for directly controlling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from manned fighter jets, aiming to penetrate the future aerial combat market.
According to industry sources, KAI will conduct the second formation flight of the FA-50 light attack aircraft and the multipurpose UAV AAP in December over the aviation center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. The AAP is a high-speed prototype UAV weighing 150 kg that KAI is developing in-house.
The key focus of this formation flight is to validate the technology for assigning and controlling missions directly from the FA-50 in flight, moving away from traditional ground control to direct collaboration with manned aircraft.
A KAI official stated, "The pilot in the back seat of the FA-50 will demonstrate the ability to send flight commands directly to the UAV. Ultimately, our goal is to enhance performance so that artificial intelligence (AI) can set targets and execute missions tailored to the manned aircraft."
KAI successfully completed the first formation flight of the FA-50 and AAP earlier this month, where the UAV was controlled from the ground using an AI program. KAI's focus on the Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) initiative is part of its strategy to adapt to changes in the future fighter market and secure new revenue streams from its existing military aircraft business.
Following the ongoing tests with the FA-50, KAI plans to conduct formation flights with the Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-21). The company aims to increase the AAP's maximum speed from 790 km/h to 920 km/h (Mach 0.75) to ensure smooth collaboration with manned fighters. KAI is also enhancing the AAP's autonomous flight capabilities through its AI pilot, 'KAI-ROT.'
The development of manned-unmanned teaming systems led by fighter jets is a global trend. European aerospace manufacturer Airbus is collaborating with U.S. defense contractor Kratos to jointly develop the unmanned fighter 'Valkyrie,' targeting operational deployment with the German Air Force by 2029. The U.S. Air Force has selected Anduril as a developer for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and successfully tested a scenario where an F-22 pilot directed missions to an unmanned fighter during flight earlier this month.
Market research firm Fortune Business Insights projects that the global next-generation autonomous combat aircraft market will expand from $2.68 billion last year to $23.98 billion (approximately 33.6 trillion won) by 2034.
Lee Jun-gon, an adjunct professor at Konkuk University’s Department of Defense Acquisition, noted, "In the future, the number of manned fighters will gradually decrease, while UAVs will evolve to perform various missions, including reconnaissance and combat. For KAI, which has secured fighter manufacturing capabilities, the ability to integrate UAVs will become a competitive advantage going forward."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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