"Korean Reaper" Unveiled... First MUAV Unit Rolled Out

Korean Air Rolls Out First Production Unit, to Be Deployed to Air Force This Year

Equipped with "Cheongeom" Air-to-Surface Missile for Attack Missions

The first mass-produced unit of the Medium-Altitude Reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) has been rolled out. Among domestically produced drones, the MUAV is capable of flying the farthest and for the longest duration, earning it the nickname "Korean Reaper."

Prototype Medium-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) in flight. Photo by Defense Acquisition Program Administration

On April 8, Korean Air held a rollout ceremony at its headquarters in Busan, unveiling the first production unit and the actual ground control equipment. The MUAV, which will be deployed to the Air Force, is scheduled to begin its missions starting this year.

The MUAV, Korea's first strategic-grade unmanned aerial vehicle, has been developed since 2008 under the leadership of the Agency for Defense Development. The development project was completed in March 2022 after it received combat suitability certification and was standardized for defense use. Korean Air is responsible for system integration, while LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Systems are in charge of subsystem components. In short, LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Systems supply parts, and Korean Air handles the final assembly.

The MUAV is larger than the U.S. MQ-9 "Reaper," which is often called the assassin of the skies. It measures 13 meters in length, has a wingspan of 25 meters, and is equipped with a 1,200-horsepower turboprop engine. With its onboard electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors, as well as a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), it can fly at altitudes of 6 to 13 kilometers and capture high-resolution images of areas up to 100 kilometers away. Notably, military authorities plan to arm the MUAV with the domestically developed air-to-surface missile "Cheongeom," enabling it to be used as an unmanned attack aircraft.

The MUAV will also be utilized in the civilian sector. If modified and further developed, it is expected to be used in various fields in Korea, such as by the Coast Guard and firefighting authorities. Additionally, by entering the export market for unmanned aerial vehicles, it is expected to contribute to the expansion of Korea's defense exports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.