Korean Air Lines has rolled out the nation's first strategic unmanned aircraft, the Medium Altitude Unmanned Air Vehicle (MUAV), unit No. 1.
Korean Air Lines said on Apr. 8 it held a ceremony to mark the rollout of the first mass-production MUAV at the Korean Air Lines Tech Center in Gangseo District, Busan. Hosted by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and co-organized by Korean Air Lines, LIG Defense & Aerospace (D&A) and Hanwha Systems, the rollout ceremony was attended by more than 300 key figures from the public and private sectors, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Air Force, the Army, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ).
The first unit rolled out this time measures 13 meters in length and 26 meters in wingspan and is equipped with a powerful 1,200-horsepower turboprop engine. The unmanned aircraft can fly at altitudes above 10 kilometers and conduct reconnaissance of ground targets. Once the MUAV is deployed in actual operations, it will be able to confirm imagery intelligence on enemy strategic targets in real time, enabling swift operational command, according to projections.
Korean Air Lines said it has flawlessly integrated key components developed by domestic defense corporations such as LIG D&A and Hanwha Systems in this program. In particular, it emphasized that it has organically combined numerous subsystems—including the ground control system, data link, state-of-the-art detection sensors, and avionics—to establish an efficient integrated operation system.
Korean Air Lines completed production, including MUAV airframe integration and painting, in February and began full-fledged airframe testing last month. In July, the operating unit plans to conduct system equipment integration tests and flight tests. Once all verifications are completed, the unmanned aircraft will be delivered to the Air Force early next year and deployed to full-scale surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
A Korean Air Lines official said, "We plan to continue close cooperation with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Air Force, and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) to ensure successful program execution," adding, "As the MUAV system integrator, Korean Air Lines will do its utmost to meet the Air Force's force integration schedule."