South Korea has unveiled its new stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System (LOWUS), which will operate as the ‘loyal wingman’ to the domestically developed KF-21 Boramae fighter jet.

The new drone is part of a growing fleet of stealth-enabled drones that South Korea is developing. The first prototype of the LOWUS was unveiled at Korean Air’s Busan Technical Centre, in the southeast of the country. 

The system was developed by Korean Air in collaboration with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), a government agency responsible for research and development in defence technology, and funded by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Korean Air held a rollout ceremony on the 25th at the Korean Air Tech Center in Busan for the first prototype of the «Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System (LOWUS),» a core platform of the manned-unmanned teaming system.

The LOWUS programme began in 2021 with the research and development phase. The maiden flight of the first prototype is reportedly scheduled for late 2025, followed by the first manned-unmanned teaming tests by 2027. 

These will involve a piloted aircraft that will directly control the drone in flight.

The LOWUS is being developed from the outset as a “loyal wingman”, designed to operate largely autonomously but also in coordination with fighter aircraft. It is expected to carry out missions such as reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and air strikes.

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The LOWUS will complement the KF-21, particularly in its initial Block 1 configuration, which is dedicated to air superiority and lacks an internal bay. In the future, the platform could conduct air-to-ground strike missions, enabling the KF-21 to operate from a safer distance, thus increasing its survivability.

In terms of design, the LOWUS incorporates stealth features and bears a strong resemblance to the XQ-58A Valkyrie, the stealth drone developed by US company Kratos, intended to serve as the loyal wingman for the US Air Force’s sixth-generation NGAD fighter.

South Korea is developing the KF-21 to replace the F-4E Phantom II aircraft it has already retired from service, as well as the soon-to-be-retired F-5E/F Tiger II jets. 

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) is currently set to order 40 KF-21s by 2028, with plans to deploy a full fleet of 120 aircraft by 2032.

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