Doosan Enerbility Co. and Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. are joining forces to develop engines for fighter jets, challenging the dominance of Western manufacturers in military aviation technology.
The South Korean industrial heavyweights signed a partnership agreement Tuesday to work on domestically produced aircraft engines, with Doosan focusing on propulsion systems while KAI handles airframe integration.
The companies plan to create two new engine types by 2030 – a 10,000-pound thrust model for autonomous aircraft and a more powerful 15,000-pound version for both manned and unmanned platforms. The project aligns with Seoul’s push to reduce dependence on foreign military technology.
Currently, only a select group of nations including the US, UK, France and Russia have mastered fighter jet engine production. The South Korean government is expected to finalize its engine development roadmap in the first half of 2025.
The partnership marks South Korea’s latest move to bolster its defense industrial base. Success would put the country in an exclusive club of nations capable of producing advanced military jet engines, a complex technology that few have mastered.
