An unmanned aircraft engine rated at 5,500 lbf (pound-force) developed with domestic technology will soon be started for the first time. For the first time, an engine for high-speed, high-maneuverability aircraft that Korea independently developed from design to production will actually operate.
Pound-force is a unit of engine output and means the force to push 1 pound (453 g). By simple calculation, an engine rated at 5,500 lbf can lift up to 2.5 t (tons). It is the same size as the engine mounted on the British Hawk advanced trainer in the 1980s. The trainer's length was about 12 m, and its maximum takeoff weight was 9,100 kg. However, as aircraft have grown larger in recent years, this is now considered the size for unmanned aircraft.
On the 22nd, according to the military authorities and others, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and Hanwha Aerospace plan to conduct the "first firing" of the 5,500 lbf-class aircraft engine in May.
The test, to be conducted at the engine run-up room in Hanwha Aerospace's Changwon Plant 1, will verify operations such as start, acceleration, deceleration, and shutdown. It is the first step in ground testing before installing the engine on an aircraft.
Hanwha Aerospace and ADD plan to carry out durability tests, which increase engine fatigue through acceleration and deceleration runs according to standards while checking its condition, through 2027, as well as environmental tests to confirm normal operation in environments such as high and low temperatures, vibration, and shock.
A thrust test is also scheduled to measure, by situation, the maximum thrust the engine can produce at a standstill. Only after completing and passing all these procedures can test flights begin with the engine mounted on an unmanned aircraft.
This engine is the first long-life (usable for hundreds to thousands of hours) aircraft engine developed entirely with domestic technology. ADD began design in 2013 and, starting in 2019, entered full-fledged development together with Hanwha Aerospace.
They have conducted unit-by-unit tests from materials to parts and modules. They verified each step from the basic stage. After completing ground tests, they plan to meet system requirements such as weight reduction to match the carrier aircraft.
The 5,500 lbf-class aircraft engine is scheduled to be mounted on a low-observable unmanned loyal wingman currently under development by Korean Air Lines. The low-observable unmanned loyal wingman is expected to perform missions as part of a manned-unmanned teaming formation with the KF-21.
This formation, characterized by reduced detection probability, has completed production of a prototype (an airframe for test flights), and test flights are reportedly underway. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration and others plan to decide the mass-production contractor for this formation later.
Hanwha Aerospace and others plan to improve performance until all tests of the 5,500 lbf-class aircraft engine are completed. Typically, engine performance such as lifespan is set to match the platform to be equipped, and the low-observable unmanned aircraft development has not yet been completed.
An official at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, "Usually the side developing the system makes requests (for lifespan and so on)," adding, "Because the engine cannot be developed alone, development is aligned with the aircraft maintenance cycle." Hanwha Aerospace is currently continuing development with a goal of thousands of hours of use.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration and ADD also plan to begin full-fledged development this year of a 10,000 lbf-class engine for unmanned aircraft. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration will announce the 10,000 lbf-class engine development program in May. The 10,000 lbf-class engine is intended for long endurance rather than high speed and high maneuverability.
The military authorities have conducted research on turbine aerodynamic-cooling design and technology assessment, core components of a 10,000 lbf-class turbofan engine. Hanwha Aerospace and companies with gas turbine technology for power generation, such as Doosan Enerbility, are expected to participate in this project.
The military authorities' ultimate goal is an advanced aircraft engine rated at 16,000 lbf. The aim is to achieve higher performance, such as lower fuel consumption, than the F414K engine (rated at 14,770 lbf) from GE Aerospace currently mounted on the KF-21. Korea, which until now only had a track record of developing engines for guided missiles, is taking steps to develop engines ranging from those for commercial airliners to those for cutting-edge fighter jets.
The government has launched a large-scale project with about 3.35 trillion won to be invested by 2040 for security self-reliance and exports. Hanwha Aerospace currently license-produces the F404K engine for the T-50 advanced trainer and the F414K engine for the KF-21, receiving various parts from GE Aerospace, but parts supply is not smooth due to global conflicts. Since the engine is the heart of a fighter, U.S. approval is also required in the export process.
An official in the defense industry said, "In addition, if we develop our own engine, we expect that the engine maintenance period, which currently takes more than one to two years due to poor parts supply, will be greatly shortened, allowing smoother fighter operations for the Air Force," adding, "Just as military aircraft engines expanded into commercial airliners, we also expect significant ripple effects from a business perspective."