Korean Air Aerospace Division

Korean Air's Aerospace Division (also known as KAL-ASD) is the aerospace manufacturing, maintenance and UAV development arm of the South Korean flag carrier Korean Air, operating from the Busan Tech Center at Gimhae International Airport.

History and products

The division's core business has long been aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, including decades of work for the US military in Asia, alongside an aerostructures business that builds parts for Korean-built and licensed aircraft. It has also become South Korea's primary UAV developer, producing the KUS ("Korean Unmanned System") family under contract with South Korea's Agency for Defense Development and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Its flagship programme is the KUS-FS medium-altitude long-endurance UAV — also known by its earlier designation KUS-FT — developed for the Republic of Korea Air Force's Group 5 UAV requirement and now in production. The division has also converted retired MD 500 light helicopters into the unmanned KUS-VH "Little Bird," developed the hybrid-powered KUS-HD firefighting and rescue drone now flown by South Korean fire and public-safety agencies, and is developing the lift-and-cruise KUS-VS tactical VTOL UAV with support from Boeing's Insitu under a 2021 memorandum of understanding.

Products on this site

Besides the five KUS-family aircraft above, the site also lists several other Korean Air-attributed pages awaiting fuller research, including an inspection drone and other UAV concepts.