Korean Air Aerospace Targets Year-End Flight Tests for LOWUS Loyal Wingman Set to Fly With KF-21
Korean Air’s aerospace and defense division, KAL-ASD, is developing LOWUS (Low Observable Wingman Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle System), a loyal-wingman drone it plans to enter in South Korea’s upcoming Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) competition. The company says it is targeting flight tests by the end of this year.
Where the program stands
KAL-ASD Director of International Business Haneul Kim said: “We delivered our CCA platform last year and will have flight tests at the end of this year.” Two technology demonstrators have already been handed to South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD), with a full-scale development program due to begin in 2029.
Manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) trials using an ADD-operated KT-1 turboprop trainer are scheduled to start at the end of 2027. LOWUS currently flies with a Ukrainian-made AI-222 engine; a new 5,500-lbf turbofan being co-developed by Hanwha and ADD is expected to be ready in 2032.
Specifications and mission profile
LOWUS measures 10.4 meters long with a 9.4-meter wingspan. With the future engine, it is expected to reach speeds up to Mach 0.8 and an endurance of up to three hours. The aircraft will carry an AESA radar and electro-optical sensors.
Its mission set will start with reconnaissance before expanding to penetrating contested airspace ahead of manned aircraft for strike and other combat roles. LOWUS is expected to operate alongside the current KF-21 Boramae as well as later production blocks.
AI and drone-swarm technology
ADD is developing AI-enabled air combat technologies under its “AI Pilot” project, which is planned for integration into LOWUS for flight demonstration. At South Korea’s Defense Drone Tech Fair in September 2026, KAL-ASD’s in-house swarm software guided 22 drones through reconnaissance, high-maneuver swarm flight and precision-strike missions, with one swarm acting as decoys against a simulated air-defense system while the other struck a preset target.
South Korea and the United States signed a letter of intent on autonomous collaborative platforms on the sidelines of the 2026 Sacheon Airshow, with both air forces planning to design for interoperability from the earliest development stages.
What it means
LOWUS marks a concrete step in South Korea’s effort to build a loyal-wingman capability complementing the KF-21 Boramae and future sixth-generation combat concepts. The program’s timeline — launched in 2021, with full-scale development planned from 2029 — tracks closely with the broader pace of comparable loyal-wingman efforts, including the US CCA program and Australia’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat.
For observers in Turkey, Baykar’s Kızılelma and TUSAŞ’s own uncrewed-wingman work pursue a similar “loyal wingman paired with a manned fighter” concept; LOWUS’s progress shows this category of competition is not confined to the US and Australia but is accelerating across the Asia-Pacific as well.
Sources
- Breaking Defense, “Korean Air Aerospace pushes forward with Collaborative Combat Aircraft plans”, November 2026, breakingdefense.com — used for program status, flight-test timeline and executive statements.
- The War Zone (TWZ), “South Korea’s Loyal Wingman Air Combat Drone Unveiled”, twz.com — used for technical specifications and program history.
- Aviation Week, “Korean Air Prepares To Fly South Korea’s First CCA”, aviationweek.com — used for engine and MUM-T trial context.
