Korea Aerospace Industries (047810.KS), or KAI, said Tuesday it has successfully completed domestic assembly and test operation of the main gearbox (MGB), a core module of the power transmission system for rotary-wing aircraft. The achievement comes four and a half years after the company launched the first phase of the project in 2021. More than 20 domestic and overseas partners and over 200 specialized engineers took part in the effort.
The development project was pursued with three main goals: technological self-reliance through localization of core technologies, enhanced performance and safety reflecting customer demands, and expanded exports and improved cost-effectiveness.
KAI designed the system so it could be mounted on the Surion (KUH-1) platform with minimal modifications. As a result, the company successfully installed the main gearbox—the most technically challenging component to develop—on the Surion platform and confirmed its mounting compatibility.
After signing a second-phase agreement with the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement in 2023, KAI has been developing all components of the seven modules that make up the power transmission system, assembling the main gearbox, and conducting basic performance tests.
By 2028, KAI plans to verify whether it can achieve targets of a 27% increase in output, a 15% improvement in maximum takeoff weight, and a 100% extension in overhaul cycles and service life. The company will undergo various harsh-environment test evaluations before launching full-scale system development.
Once development of the domestic power transmission system is completed, it is expected to be used not only for Surion performance upgrades but also for expanding water tank capacity in government helicopters, increasing manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) payload capacity, and developing next-generation high-speed medium helicopters.
"I thank the KAI personnel, partner companies and related institutions that worked to localize the technically demanding power transmission system," KAI CEO Kim Jong-chul said at a commemorative event the same day. "The successful domestic development of this main gearbox will serve as an important milestone for technological self-reliance in Korea's defense industry."
