[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] One Year Since KF-21's First Flight... What About the 6th Generation Fighter?

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is drawing attention to the Korean 6th-generation fighter jet as it marks the first anniversary of the maiden flight of the first domestically produced supersonic fighter, the KF-21.

The KF-21 is a 4.5-generation fighter jet equipped with some stealth capabilities. The first prototype of the KF-21 took off around 3:40 PM on July 19 last year from the runway of the Air Force 3rd Training Flight Group in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, and safely landed after a 33-minute flight. Subsequently, the sixth and final aircraft completed successful flights without any accidents as of the 28th of last month.

Riding on the success of the KF-21, KAI plans to move directly into the development of a 6th-generation manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system following the Block-3 phase of developing a 5th-generation stealth fighter.

KAI aims to first develop a multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform by 2025, then integrate it with the light attack aircraft FA-50 to develop core technologies for next-generation AI-based aerial combat systems.

Completion of 5th-Generation Stealth Fighter in KF-21 Block-3 Phase

The unmanned aircraft flying alongside the KF-21 is expected to be developed by Korean Air. Korean Air developed the unmanned aircraft Gaori-X1 in 2014. The Gaori-X1 is a scaled-down version (46%) of a large unmanned combat aircraft, measuring 10.4 meters in length, 14.8 meters in wingspan, and weighing 10 tons. It flew 50 km in 1 hour and 30 minutes, opening the possibility for unmanned combat aircraft development.

Korean Air plans to further develop the ‘unmanned wingman’ and ‘stealth unmanned reconnaissance aircraft’ using the Gaori-X1. The unmanned wingman, called ‘MUM-T,’ enables manned-unmanned cooperative operations. Before a manned fighter jet infiltrates enemy territory, the stealth unmanned wingman takes the lead. It can engage in combat or perform reconnaissance missions ahead of the manned aircraft. Protecting the life of the fighter pilot is a given. Since the unmanned aircraft are deployed simultaneously with manned aircraft, they can respond to sudden situations. The unmanned wingman is scheduled for its first flight in 2025, and in 2027, joint manned-unmanned operations with government-owned manned aircraft will be tested.

The attack-type unmanned combat aircraft is the Gaori-X2. It can be equipped with Korean-style medium-range guided bombs and is referred to as a ‘mini B-2 bomber.’ To carry weapons, it is expected to be equipped with a 5,500-pound class turbofan engine currently under development for stealth unmanned aircraft. Stealth unmanned combat aircraft being developed by the U.S. and others use engines in the 10,000-pound class.

‘Unmanned Wingman’ Using Gaori-X1 Developed by Korean Air

Overseas, weapon systems that form formations with manned fighter jets at the center and unmanned aircraft performing escort, reconnaissance, and other missions are being competitively developed.

The MUM-T concept, which emerged in the early 2000s, is already a realized tactical weapon in advanced countries. During the Afghanistan war, the U.S. Air Force applied a data link that allowed real-time data sharing between the ground-attack AC-130 gunship and the armed reconnaissance MQ-1C Predator, conducting team-based operations. In this first MUM-T operation, the Predator transmitted video footage captured by its sensors to the AC-130 in real time, enabling the AC-130 to accurately strike critical targets based on the footage.

The U.S. Air Force is currently developing the ‘Loyal Wingman.’ It is a loyal escort aircraft controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) that performs missions alongside 6th-generation fighters, undertaking dangerous tasks on behalf of the pilot. The Loyal Wingman is AI-controlled and can operate as a team with other aircraft. The attack helicopter AH-64 Apache teams up with the armed reconnaissance MQ-1C Gray Eagle. The Gray Eagle is deployed first to collect various information in the operational area and transmit it to the Apache in real time.

The Russian Air Force is also expected to receive the Loyal Wingman S-70 Okhotnik-B in 2024. The S-70, estimated to be 14 meters long, with a 20-meter wingspan and weighing about 20 tons, will operate alongside the 5th-generation fighter Su-57, expanding detection range and using stealth capabilities for covert infiltration and target information transmission, acting as a hunting dog for the Su-57 fighter.

The Royal Australian Air Force recently completed the first flight of the Loyal Wingman ATS (Airpower Teaming System), developed in partnership with Boeing. Australia’s Loyal Wingman will autonomously perform missions based on AI once directed by manned aircraft. The Loyal Wingman drone is 11.7 meters long, smaller than typical fighter jets but larger than the 8.5-meter MQ-1C Gray Eagle. Its range reaches 3,700 km, sufficient for joint operations with most fighter jets. Although its top speed has not been disclosed, it is expected to be similar to or slightly slower than the latest fighters.