Advanced Aircraft Engine Development to Be Driven by Pan-Ministerial 'One-Team' Approach

Council Led by Korea Aerospace Administration and Defense Acquisition Program Administration Launched
Strengthening Links Between Technology, Certification, and Supply Chains

The government has officially launched an inter-ministerial collaboration system to secure next-generation fighter jet-class advanced aircraft engines.

The plan is to promote the development of aircraft engines, which are considered high-level strategic technologies, not by a single ministry but through a “pan-ministerial one-team” approach. This aims to reduce redundant investments and accelerate the pace of technological acquisition.

On November 28, the Korea Aerospace Administration and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration launched the “Pan-Ministerial Council for Advanced Aircraft Engine Development” at the Government Sejong Convention Center, with participation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of National Defense, and others. The council will serve as a permanent coordination channel, covering development plan reviews, budget adjustments, and discussions on certification and the industrial ecosystem.

Employees are inspecting engines at Hanwha Aerospace Changwon Plant 1. Photo by The Asia Business Daily

Aircraft engines are a strategic technology that only a handful of countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, have the capability to develop independently. The field requires investment throughout the entire cycle, including materials, components, and testing and evaluation. In particular, advanced engines determine both the performance of fighter jets and their export competitiveness. As a result, the government has regarded technological self-reliance in this area as a national priority.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration established the “Basic Plan for Advanced Aircraft Engine Development” this year and has been working on projects to foster talent, testing infrastructure, and a component ecosystem. However, as technology development, certification, and industrial foundations have been dispersed across different ministries, the need to establish a collaborative system has been consistently raised.

At the launch ceremony, each ministry clarified its role and emphasized its commitment to collaboration. Lee Sunhye, Director of the Advanced Civil-Military Innovation Support Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated, “Based on our experience in developing core material and component technologies, we will contribute to stabilizing supply chains and building a manufacturing ecosystem.” Choi Seungwook, Director of the Aircraft Technology Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, “Certification is an essential requirement for engine development. We will pursue both military and civil certification in parallel to connect this effort to exports.”

Jeong Jaejun, Acting Head of the Advanced Technology Business Division at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said, “As this is a strategic technology with significant impact on both military and civilian sectors, we will vitalize the industrial ecosystem through cooperation.” Lee Gwangbyeong, Head of the Aviation Innovation Mission Design Program at the Korea Aerospace Administration, emphasized, “As the lead ministry for civil-military cooperation, we will work to secure core technologies and expand into the civil engine sector.”

The government plans to regularly discuss key issues at each stage of technology development through the council, and will also operate a working-level task force in parallel. Attention is focused on whether this will mark the first step in developing advanced engines as a national platform.