Hanwha Aerospace begins Korea's first dual-use turbofan engine project
· UPIMay 26 (Asia Today) -- Hanwha Aerospace said Tuesday it has launched a project with the Korea AeroSpace Administration to develop South Korea's first domestically made turbofan aircraft engine for both civilian and military use.
The company attended a kickoff meeting Tuesday at the space agency's headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, for the next-generation civil-military aircraft engine and propulsion system development project.
Hanwha Aerospace will lead the project, with participation from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, universities and smaller technology companies. The project aims to develop a 4,500-pound-force-class engine for unmanned aircraft by 2029.
The engine is designed to be South Korea's first to mount a starter generator on the engine shaft, enabling it to supply up to 100 kilowatts of electricity. The design is intended to increase power generation while reducing weight, making it suitable for unmanned aircraft, small business jets and other civilian aircraft.
The engine is expected to be especially useful for drones that require large amounts of onboard power. Future unmanned aircraft, including collaborative combat aircraft, are expected to need significant power for artificial intelligence computing, radar and electronic warfare equipment, making power supply capacity a key competitive factor.
The engine will be developed as a high-bypass turbofan engine to support both civilian and military applications.
Hanwha Aerospace said the project will help it move faster to secure a position in the global unmanned aircraft engine market, which is expected to grow as the United States and other countries expand adoption of collaborative combat aircraft. More than 3,000 such aircraft are expected to be in operation worldwide by the 2040s.
"The global unmanned aircraft engine market is still in its early stage, with no fixed market structure yet," said Park Hee-ho, chief technology officer of Hanwha Aerospace's aviation business division. "We will do our best to secure technology ahead of others, contribute to strengthening South Korea's unmanned military capabilities and become a leading company in the global market."
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260526010007522