The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) is partnering with Hanwha Aerospace (012450) to develop Korea's first dual-use civil-military turbofan aircraft engine.
KASA held a "Joint Kickoff Report Meeting for the Next-Generation Civil-Military Aircraft Engine and Propulsion System Development Project" at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday. The agency said it will invest approximately 90 billion won from this year through 2029 to simultaneously develop "core high-bypass turbofan engine technology" and "electric-turbine hybrid propulsion system technology."
Hanwha Aerospace will serve as the lead company for the next-generation aircraft engine development. KASA and Hanwha Aerospace plan to secure Korea's first dual-use civil-military aircraft gas turbine engine model through the "Core Technology Development for High-Bypass Turbofan Engines for Electrified Aircraft" project. They aim to develop a 4,500-pound (lbf)-class unmanned aerial vehicle engine, expandable for civilian use, with domestic technology, thereby enhancing technological self-sufficiency in the aviation industry and establishing a foundation for entry into the global civil aviation market.
Development of an electric-turbine hybrid propulsion system combining electric propulsion and turbine-based power generation technology will also be pursued. The government plans to develop a 500-kilowatt (kW)-class turbo generator and a 300 kW-class multiplexed electric engine, while also building integrated design, analysis, and ground performance verification infrastructure for the new propulsion system.
