South Korea rolls out first production MUAV

South Korea's first production Medium-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) was unveiled at Korean Air's Tech Center at Busan on 8 March. The UAV was displayed in Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) livery. (RoKAF)

South Korea has rolled out its first production Medium-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV), with the capability due to enter service in 2027.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) unveiled the UAV and its ground control equipment at a ceremony on 8 March at Korean Air's Tech Centre in Busan. Supervised by DAPA and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), the MUAV programme involved Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD), LIG Nex1, and Hanwha Systems.

The project had to resolve “technical challenges during the domestic development process” before the platform could enter production, DAPA said. Without providing specifics, the agency added that the MUAV has achieved a “high localisation rate of 90%”.

The roll-out event marked the culmination of several years of development since the production phase began in December 2023, DAPA said.

According to DAPA, the MUAV is due to enter service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) in 2027. RoKAF will start acceptance trials of the MUAV in 2026, with production UAVs to be delivered in stages to the service from 2027, DAPA said.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND) describes the MUAV as a strategic reconnaissance platform, enabling real-time monitoring of adversarial targets.

General Son Seok-rak, RoKAF Chief of Staff, said the MUAV represents the air force's first step towards operating a manned-unmanned composite system. “As seen in the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East, UAVs are no longer auxiliary tools for conventional weapon systems but have become core forces that determine the outcome of battles,” he said.