Development of a domestically made engine for fighter jets has begun in earnest. A pan-government council bringing together multiple ministries is scheduled for this month, and, following the 2023 declaration to develop an advanced aircraft engine and last year's roadmap announcement, the process now appears to be moving into working-level meetings. The defense industry had long pointed to discord among ministries and the need for an integrated body, and with this meeting, they agreed to put their heads together on development. The budget is also reflected as is in next year's draft budget, suggesting the momentum will continue.
According to the military authorities and the defense industry on the 20th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) plans to hold a pan-government council on the 28th regarding aircraft engine development. This will be the first meeting and is expected to review procedures such as the development plan and certification. Officials from DAPA, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), the Korea AeroSpace Administration, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will attend. Early this year, when DAPA unveiled its roadmap to develop a 16,000 lbf (pound-force, an engine power unit) class aircraft engine, only the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) was included, but the cooperating ministries have since expanded.
The core of DAPA's roadmap is to invest a total of 3.35 trillion won to develop a 16,000 lbf class aircraft engine to be mounted on the KF-21, Korea's next-generation fighter platform. The goal is to develop a high-performance engine that, among other improvements, reduces specific fuel consumption by 15% compared with the F414 engine from General Electric (GE) currently installed on the KF-21. DAPA has set a goal to complete development so the engine can be mounted on the KF-21 Block 3 (third performance upgrade), which is expected to be fielded around 2040.
When DAPA was preparing this roadmap, the industry's concern was inter-ministerial power struggles. A representative example is the military's reconnaissance satellite program, the "425 program." The military, the National Intelligence Service, and what was then the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning could not narrow their differences over "who would hold satellite control authority," delaying the project for five years. In the 2002 Korean helicopter development program, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) each allocated their own budgets and pursued development, effectively taking separate paths.
But the aircraft engine development program appears to be coordinating among ministries from the start. A representative at a defense company that entered the engine business said, "Given past cases where projects were delayed due to disputes among ministries, policy consistency and inter-ministerial cooperation are the most important." The engine development project secured funding late last year and aimed to pick up full speed this year, but due to the aftereffects of the Dec. 3 martial law, it was delayed about a year from the original plan. The engine development project is also a campaign pledge by President Lee Jae-myung.
The need to develop aircraft engines has been raised for a long time. Korean-made fighters such as the KF-21, which has begun mass production, and the FA-50, which has signed export contracts, are equipped with U.S.-made engines. As a result, there are restrictions requiring U.S. approval for exports. Depending on the engine type, some must be sent to the United States for repairs, during which time the fighters cannot be operated. In addition, success in aircraft engine development would allow use in commercial airliner engines, producing broad ripple effects.
The budget for aircraft engines to be used next year is also fully reflected in the government's draft as a priority. Once the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts completes its review, the technology development project is expected to begin in earnest. The budget item reflected in next year's government draft is a future challenge technology development project totaling 8.6 billion won. If the military authorities secure this budget, they plan early next year to announce technology development projects for components such as the afterburner, an engine thrust augmentation device, the low-pressure turbine that generates power from steam, the combustor, and the high-pressure compressor. Shim Hyun-seok, DAPA's aircraft engine part leader, explained, "Before the main project begins, we intend to start with high-difficulty technologies that take a long time."
The main project is scheduled to start in 2027. It must pass a feasibility study on aircraft engine development to be conducted around the second half of next year. If it passes, DAPA plans to begin executing more than 3 trillion won in budget from the first half of 2027, starting with about 70 billion won. Hanwha Aerospace and Doosan Enerbility have entered the aircraft engine development project.