South Korean media: Korea can now produce aircraft 'engines'... Hanwha Aerospace unveils drone engine prototypes

On the 7th, at Hanwha Aerospace's Changwon Plant No. 1 in Gyeongsangnam-do, the company jointly unveiled two domestically developed prototype drone engines for the first time with the Defense Science and Technology Institute. These include a "5,500-pound-class turbofan engine" designed for low-observable unmanned combat drones that accompany manned fighter jets, and a "1,400-horsepower-class turboprop engine" intended for medium- to high-altitude drones.

Previously, South Korea had been capable of independently developing and producing short-life-cycle engines for missiles such as Hyunmoo and Cheongung, but this marks the first time it has successfully developed long-life-cycle engines for military drones or manned aircraft. Unlike one-time-use short-life engines, long-life engines must endure thousands of startups—requiring significantly higher technical expertise. For years, South Korea relied on imported engines for both drones and manned aircraft, which not only increased production costs but also led to challenges like export restrictions. The successful development of these long-life engines is seen as expanding the boundaries of Korea’s “K-Aerospace Defense Industry.”

Even bolt-tightening counts… Behind the scenes of the breakthrough

The day before, journalists visited the “Smart Engine Machining Factory” at Changwon Plant No. 1, where components for these two drone engines are manufactured. Upon entering, they saw staff wearing oil-stained protective suits moving between machining equipment and control computers. Nearby, autonomous transport vehicles—similar in size to small cars—delivered raw materials and tools. This system uses driverless vehicles to deliver materials to the machines, where workers load them in, then let computers take control of the process.

Jet engines demand extreme precision; even micron-level (㎛) misalignments or slight deviations from the ideal processing temperature (22°C) could cause failure. As a result, every raw material is managed through intelligent tagging. In fact, the real-time display screens viewed by workers showed each material’s current location, processing progress, and operating temperature of the machine it was being used in.

Even the “torque wrench operation rate” for individual engine parts is monitored by computers. When technicians use sensor-equipped wrenches to tighten bolts, the system calculates joint strength and immediately informs them. Park Min-woo (name pronounced), head of the engine production division, said: “All the experience accumulated over more than 40 years of engine manufacturing is distilled into this smart factory,” adding, “Thanks to such precise machining capabilities, Korea can now produce drone engines independently.”

“Next challenge: developing engines for manned aircraft”

The newly unveiled “5,500-pound-class turbofan engine” and “1,400-horsepower-class turboprop engine” are scheduled for flight testing in early 2030 after further trial operations. Kim Jong-ho (name pronounced), head of the Advanced Engine Business Division, stated: “Our next goal is to actively participate in the government-led development program for a 24,000-pound-class advanced aviation engine, aiming to independently develop and produce engines for manned aircraft.”

Currently, the global aerospace engine market is effectively dominated by five countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. While South Korea, India, Turkey, and others are attempting to develop their own aerospace engines, the gap remains enormous in what is widely regarded as the pinnacle of manufacturing technology.

For this reason, the domestically developed KF-21 fighter jet, strictly speaking, cannot yet be considered fully indigenous. Its core—engine—is still based on the U.S.-made F414 engine licensed from General Electric (GE). When exporting manned or unmanned aircraft equipped with foreign-made engines, permission from the original country is required. However, if South Korea successfully develops advanced aerospace engines, it will be able to freely export aircraft like the KF-21 without external interference in the future.

The defense industry has commented that Hanwha Aerospace’s public unveiling of these engine prototypes reveals its ambitions following its acquisition of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). If Hanwha acquires KAI—the manufacturer of the KF-21 fuselage—and simultaneously develops advanced aviation engines, it could then produce and sell fully domestically made KF-21s. As of the 7th, Hanwha Group holds 11.21% of KAI shares and plans to increase its stake to over 12% by year-end.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870044403999754/

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