LOWUS Prototype Unveiled by Korean Air
On February 25th, the first prototype of the Low Observable Wingman Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle System (LOWUS) was introduced by South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Korean Air. LOWUS is an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) designed to conduct autonomous missions such as reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and strikes. It takes part in a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system, where the uncrewed LOWUS operates alongside a crewed aircraft, providing sequential support in urgent situations while protecting crewed aircraft pilots. Since 2021, the ADD and Korean Air have been collaborating on developing a design with low detectability and stealth features that could be applied on the surface of the LOWUS, using radar-absorbing material. In addition, Korean Air announced plans to develop heat-resistant, radar-absorbing materials, which would facilitate the building of hypersonic missiles to be used for offensive UCAVs. Following the prototype test of LOWUS, the first flight has been scheduled for late 2025, and MUM-T flights where a crewed aircraft take direct control of the drone will take place in 2027. According to senior ADD researcher Park Jun-seong, they are looking forward to responding to changes in future battlefields by developing a composite combat system between manned and unmanned aircrafts, leading the global competition in this field, supported by domestic defense companies.