South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has conducted the first formation flight involving the FA-50 light combat aircraft and its jet-powered AAP unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), marking a step forward in the development of manned-unmanned teaming capabilities.
The 20-minute test was conducted at an altitude of 2,100 metres and a speed of 360 kilometres per hour. The AAP weighs approximately 150 kg, measures 3.1 metres in length and has a maximum speed of 790 kilometres per hour. It is designed to perform reconnaissance, electronic warfare, deception and strike missions alongside crewed aircraft, helping to reduce risks to pilots.
KAI plans to test the ability of the FA-50 to control unmanned aircraft and further develop artificial intelligence capabilities, with the long-term objective of enabling a single FA-50 to coordinate up to four UAVs simultaneously. Potential future markets could include countries operating the FA-50, such as Iraq, while Morocco has also been identified as a possible market.
