Korea, U.S. to deepen drone combat cooperation

The air forces of Korea and the United States will sign a letter of intent (LOI) on autonomous combat platform cooperation Thursday to bolster collaboration in manned-unmanned combat systems, the Korean Air Force said.

The LOI will be signed during a meeting between the chiefs of staff of the two countries' air forces — Gen. Son Sug-rag and U.S. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the Korean armed forces said in a statement.

The autonomous collaborative platform refers to an autonomous system designed to collaborate with manned aircraft and other unmanned assets to execute air missions.

Such manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) is regarded as a cornerstone of next-generation air operations, reducing risks to pilots and significantly boosting the operational range and survival chances for airmen.

The collaboration comes as the U.S. Air Force is pushing for the development and operational integration of unmanned combat aircraft systems.

Korea's Air Force is also working to lay the groundwork to secure operational capabilities for the MUM-T systems.

Building on the collaboration, the two air forces plan to bolster cooperation to advance operational concepts and interoperability for future MUM-T combat systems, the Korean Air Force said.

Yonhap