[Report] "10,000 Aircraft Engines" Hanwha Aero... "6th Generation Fighter Jet Heart Made with Our Technology"

Started Aviation Engine Business in 1979
Achieved Production of 10,000 Aviation Engines
Aiming for Independent Development in 2030s
Challenging 6th Generation Fighter Jet Engine

Hanwha Aerospace is testing the 10,000th engine 'F404' produced by Hanwha Aerospace at the Changwon 1 plant.
[Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

On the 12th, the entrance to the test run room at Hanwha Aerospace Changwon Plant 1 was quiet. It is where the final combustion test of the engine is conducted just before shipment, and only the sound of people talking could be heard. “We are running the aircraft engine right now, but you don’t hear any noise, right?” said Lee Seung-doo, the production manager met on site. “This building is designed to be explosion-proof and dust-proof, with walls about 2 meters thick,” he added, “and the noise going outside the building is controlled to be below 70 decibels (dB).”

Inside the test run room, an engine suspended in the air beyond a transparent glass window caught the eye. It was the F404 engine, the 10,000th engine shipped by Hanwha Aerospace in its 45 years of aircraft engine business. When ignited, a roaring “woong~” sound was heard, and a blue flame shot out in a straight line from the back of the engine. When the afterburner, used during combat or takeoff, is activated, it can produce a maximum thrust of 24,000 pounds-force (Lbf) within 2 to 3 minutes. This engine is installed on the Air Force’s tactical lead-in trainer TA-50.

Hanwha Aerospace's 10,000th engine 'F404' undergoing testing
[Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

Hanwha Aerospace, the only domestic aircraft engine manufacturer, has independently produced over 1,800 engines including guided missile engines and auxiliary power units (APU) over 45 years. Along with producing engines for the Air Force’s main aircraft, it has also performed maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) on a total of 5,700 aircraft, establishing integrated capabilities in engine design, production, and MRO unique in Korea.

Last month at an event, Shin Hyun-woo, President of Hanwha Aerospace, told Asia Economy, “There are not many companies worldwide with experience in producing and overhauling more than 10,000 engines,” adding, “This means that experience and expertise have been accumulated, and based on this, we will localize advanced engines.”

Hanwha Aerospace's 10,000th produced engine 'F404'
[Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

We still do not have aircraft engines made with independent technology. The engine for the domestically developed supersonic fighter KF-21 is produced under license in Korea using technology from the American company General Electric (GE). Even when American defense companies entrust engine production to our companies, they do not share core technologies such as the high-pressure turbine.

Our government is promoting the localization of advanced engines to fully internalize overseas-dependent technologies. Hanwha Aerospace is also focusing on developing advanced aircraft engines and engines for the so-called “invisible fighter,” the 6th generation unmanned combat aircraft, in cooperation with the government.

The goal is to independently develop a 15,000-pound-class engine equivalent to the KF-21 engine by the mid-to-late 2030s in partnership with the government. To this end, about 40 billion KRW will be invested by 2025 to establish a 16,529㎡ smart engine factory equipped with IT-based quality control and logistics systems. The global aircraft engine market is expected to exceed approximately 150 trillion KRW by 2029.

Lee Kwang-min, head of Hanwha Aerospace’s aviation division, said, “Having an independently developed advanced aircraft engine gives us the power to say ‘Don’t provoke us’ with unmanned combat aircraft,” adding, “That much means an increase in autonomous defense capability.”

On the 12th, Lee Kwang-min, Head of the Aerospace Division, explained the current status and mid-to-long-term strategy of the aircraft engine business at Hanwha Aerospace Changwon Plant 1.
[Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

Only six countries have independent fighter engine technology: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Ukraine, and China.

These countries strictly control the transfer and export of engine-related technologies under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

As the paradigm of future warfare changes and demand for 6th generation manned and unmanned fighters increases, the import barriers for aircraft engines are likely to rise significantly.

Hanwha Aerospace employees inspecting an engine at the Changwon 1 plant of Hanwha Aerospace [Photo by Hanwha Aerospace]

All aircraft engine assembly is done by hand. Due to the characteristics of small-lot, multi-product production, it is said that working with special tools and skilled hands is more efficient.

Engine parts assembly is done in a smart factory. On that day, there were only 7 to 8 workers in the 10,000㎡ (3,300 pyeong) smart factory. Instead, unmanned guided vehicles (AGVs) were carrying multiple processing tools weighing 5 to 10 kg around. About 40 processes carried out here can be controlled with a single click.

When moving aircraft engines, vibration-free vehicles are used. Kang Kyu-sik, Executive Director at Hanwha Aerospace, said, “We handle aircraft engines as carefully as handling a baby.” “The Wright brothers succeeded in powered flight for the first time in 1903 in the U.S. We have produced 10,000 aircraft engines in 45 years, and by integrating experience across design, materials, manufacturing, and various certification technologies, we have to catch up to 120 years of history. We will achieve this through Hanwha’s technology, government support, and collaboration with partners. This is just the beginning.”