Doosan Enerbility announced on the 17th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to establish a strategic cooperation relationship for the development of aircraft engines.
Through this agreement, the two companies will collaborate on developing large engines for both manned and unmanned aircraft, including a 15,000 lbf (pound-force) class engine, a 10,000 lbf class engine for unmanned aircraft, and a 100 to 500 lbf class small engine for multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicles. Doosan Enerbility will manufacture the aircraft engines, while KAI will develop the aircraft systems.
Jung Yeon-in, vice chairman of Doosan Enerbility, said, "We will work to enhance our technological capabilities through this collaboration, and contribute to the localization of aircraft engines as well as the expansion of the overseas market for domestically produced aircraft." Kang Gu-young, president of KAI, noted, "The strategic cooperation between leading corporations in the domestic aircraft and gas turbine sectors will create a tremendous synergy."
Separately from this agreement, Doosan Enerbility has obtained a contract to develop a 10,000 lbf class high-altitude engine for unmanned aerial vehicles from the Defense Research Institute and is also participating in the conceptual design service project for the development of a 15,000 lbf class engine. The company plans to enter the unmanned aerial vehicle engine market through this engine development and eventually expand into the manufacture of engines for manned aircraft.
Only the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia have independently developed aircraft engines.