[electronic translation] The development of the Manned Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), which was introduced at the ‘Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2021 (hereafter ADEX)’, will begin in earnest.

On the 27th, KAI signed a contract with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration for the ‘helicopter-unmanned aerial vehicle interworking system project, which is a 21-year expedited pilot acquisition project.

The Rapid Trial Acquisition Project, which is being promoted by the DAPA, is a system that verifies and determines the requirements for products to which the fourth industrial technology is applied through pilot operation by the military.

The ‘helicopter-unmanned aerial vehicle linkage system project’ aims to build an unmanned complex system that expands the operational radius of remote reconnaissance and strike by directly controlling and controlling the drone from the helicopter and providing the drone image information to the pilot in real time.

Through this project, KAI will equip Surion, a domestic mobile helicopter, with unmanned aerial vehicle control and control equipment and image information receiving antenna, and demonstrate the helicopter-unmanned interlocking system. The contract period is 14 months from October ’21 to December ’22, and is worth 4 billion won.

The manned and unmanned complex system is a new concept aviation weapon system technology that is still being developed and studied in advanced countries such as the United States and Europe, and this project is the first in Korea.

KAI attracted the attention of visitors and government officials by exhibiting an amphibious assault helicopter with the MUM-T concept at this ADEX.

KAI plans to successfully complete this project and expand its business by establishing a manned and unmanned complex between the domestic helicopter Surion and LAH through the development of a canister-type UAV that can be mounted on a helicopter.

KAI became the first company in Korea to electrify a corps-level UAV in 2005 and is taking part in the development of the next corps UAV, establishing itself as a leading company in the field of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles.

In addition, through continuous self-invested prior research, we are securing various military UAV technologies and future UAV technologies such as VTOL.

A KAI official said, “As the future scalability of MUM-T technology is great, we will establish a cooperative structure with the government, industry, academia, and research institutes and complete the Korean MUM-T system through continuous research.” If the -T technology is added, it is expected that the defense power will be strengthened, the lives of the ROK military personnel will be protected, and the export competitiveness will increase.” said.

Despite the recent contraction of the aerospace industry at home and abroad due to the COVID-19 outbreak, KAI announced five future projects including manned and unmanned complex systems in March and presented a blueprint as a game changer in the global aerospace market.

The five future projects are:

▲Urban Air Mobility (UAM)

▲Man/Unmanned Complex System (MUM-T)

▲Satellite/Space Launch Vehicle

▲Aviation Electronics

▲Simulation/SW.

KAI plans to nurture these future businesses as new growth engines and to leap forward as a global aerospace company representing Asia with sales of 10 trillion won by 2030 through stable promotion of existing flagship businesses such as KF-21 and LAH.