[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Korean Air announced that it will participate in the '2023 Drone Show Korea' held at BEXCO in Busan for three days from the 23rd to the 25th, showcasing cutting-edge unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) products and technologies leading the future of aviation power.
The '2023 Drone Show Korea,' the largest drone specialized exhibition in Asia, is hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of National Defense, and Busan Metropolitan City, marking its 7th edition this year.
Korean Air is participating on the largest scale among over 150 participating companies and organizations, presenting products and advanced technologies in UAV-related fields such as medium-altitude UAVs, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, hybrid drones, and inspection drones, thereby presenting the vision for South Korea's UAV industry.
The medium-altitude UAV developed by Korean Air, which began mass production this year, is equipped with high-performance sensors and is a strategic weapon system capable of real-time surveillance and reconnaissance of key targets at altitudes higher than aircraft flight levels. It is a top-tier asset with competitiveness held by only four countries worldwide.
The VTOL UAV, combining the vertical take-off and landing capability of helicopters and the high-speed flight ability of fixed-wing aircraft, is a successor model to the existing division-level UAV developed and mass-produced by Korean Air. It is expected to be used not only for military reconnaissance in South Korea's narrow mountainous terrain but also for civilian public purposes such as wildfire detection and fish school detection.
Additionally, the hybrid drone is a platform independently developed by Korean Air to compensate for the short flight time of conventional battery drones. Through a hybrid propulsion system, it can operate for over 2 hours of long endurance and at speeds exceeding 70 km/h.
Korean Air's inspection drone, the world's first to apply swarm technology, can simultaneously deploy up to four drones for aircraft fuselage exterior inspection. Data is shared in real-time, allowing results to be checked regardless of time and place.
Meanwhile, Korean Air plans to sign memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for UAV business cooperation with the Korea Institute of Materials Science and Korea Fibers at this exhibition. Through collaboration with these specialized research institutions, Korean Air aims to secure global competitiveness in the UAV field and lead the domestic UAV market by accumulating advanced technologies.
Korean Air, a key player in the rapidly advancing 'K Defense' and a representative aerospace comprehensive company of South Korea, plans to actively contribute to the development of future advanced weapon systems and strengthening national defense through continuous investment and research and development in the UAV and drone sectors.
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