Hanwha’s new 1,400 shp engine – a 1:1 scale model of which is seen in the centre of the image above – is being developed for the MUAV Block II. (Janes/Akhil Kadidal)
Hanwha Aerospace has displayed three new aircraft engines at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025 that are being developed for integration into future unmanned and manned combat aircraft..
Speaking to
Janes
at the show, which runs from 17 to 24 October, Kim Kyoung-won, head of Hanwha’s Military Business (Aero Business group) said the engines, which are yet to be assigned designations, have applications across different classes of aircraft.
One engine under development is intended to power an improved variant of Hanwha Aerospace’s Medium Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV). A second is under development for the Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System (LOWUS) collaborative combat aircraft being developed by Korean Air Aerospace Business Division (KAL-ASD), while the third engine is a one-tonne powerplant intended for integration into a future fighter aircraft.
The 1,400 shp turboprop engine for the enhanced MUAV Block II platform was represented by a 1:1 scale model at ADEX 2025. The MUAV Block I is currently powered by a 1,200 hp turboprop engine. However, in July 2025, South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) awarded Hanwha Aerospace a contract to develop the 1,400 shp engine for the Block II MUAV.
According to Kim, Hanwha began developing the 1,400 shp engine in 2019. “We are currently planning on assembling the first prototype by the end of 2025,” he said. “By 2026, we are planning to do a ground test. The plan is to finalise development in 2028.”
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