[News Terms] Military Aircraft 'Airworthiness Certification'... Green Light for Expanding Defense Industry Exports

Government Certificate for Ensuring Aircraft Flight Safety
Colombia First in South America to Sign Following the US and France

'Airworthiness Certification' refers to the verification that an aircraft's structure, strength, performance, etc., possess the safety and reliability suitable for flight, and the government's certification that it meets those standards. It is a government-issued certificate confirming that the aircraft has the performance to fly safely throughout its entire lifecycle, from the design phase to operational retirement. Airworthiness certification verifies three criteria: the 'structure, strength, and performance' standards to ensure the aircraft's inherent safety, noise standards for the environment, and engine emission standards. In aviation terminology, it is denoted as 'AC (Airworthiness Certificate)' or 'C of A (Certificates of Airworthiness)'.

The fourth prototype of the Korean fighter jet 'KF-21' unveiled last month by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The word 'Gamhang (堪航)' itself means 'the act of equipping an aircraft with the safety and reliability suitable for flight.' In the aviation industry, it is called airworthiness or 'Naegongseong (耐空性, Airworthiness),' which refers to the aircraft's ability to withstand the air pressure experienced during flight.

In Korea, the term 'Gamhang Certification' has been used since 1948. However, in April 2009, with the enactment of the 'Military Aircraft Flight Safety Certification Act,' airworthiness certification for military aircraft began, and the National Assembly attempted to replace the term with 'Flight Safety Certification' because it was considered difficult for the public to understand.

Nevertheless, existing aviation safety laws that mandate airworthiness certification for civil aircraft specify terms such as 'Airworthiness Certificate' and 'Airworthiness Approval,' and since the term is already widely used, the term 'Gamhang Certification' was retained in the provisions despite the law's title. This is to avoid confusion that could arise if different terms were used in the civil and military sectors.

On the 14th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced that it had signed a written mutual recognition agreement on 'Military Aircraft Airworthiness Certification' with the Colombian military airworthiness authority. With this mutual recognition, the Colombian government now acknowledges the flight safety of domestically certified military aircraft by the Korean government. Conversely, Colombia's certifications are also recognized in Korea.

Accordingly, in future projects such as replacing the Colombian Air Force's aging light attack aircraft, the Colombian side can omit the airworthiness certification for Korean aircraft. This is expected to help secure export competitiveness by reducing the time and cost required for operational deployment.

Korea reached mutual recognition agreements on airworthiness certification with the United States in 2016, Spain in 2019, France and Australia in 2022, and Poland last year. This is the first agreement with a South American country. A Defense Acquisition Program Administration official expressed hope that "this will contribute to the development of the domestic aircraft industry through expanded exports to the South American region and strengthened cooperation in the defense industry."