Page 14 - Seoul ADEX 2021 Day 2 Online Magazine

NM range in full mission configuration.
The drone also has anti-ice, de-ice and
lightening protection capabilities to min-
imize lost sorties due to tropical weather.
The RPAS also has a fully certifiable
design, including for the Ground Control
Station. This, combined with a Detect and
Avoid (DAA) system, offers the potential
to operate the MQ-9B in all classes of
airspace.
GA-ASI HIGHLIGHTS One of the advantages of the
SeaGuardian is its ability to comple-
SEAGUARDIAN ment traditional manned maritime patrol
aircraft (MPA). According to company
officials, SeaGuardian presents a far more
CAPABILITIES cost-effective solution for militaries than a
manned patrol aircraft (MPA) as its oper-
ating and support costs are considerably
lower. The UAS can be used as well to
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) with complement an MPA.
(GA-ASI) is highlighting the capabilities of the capability to operate in unsegregated
the MQ-9B SeaGuardian at the ongoing airspace. The nine external hardpoints The California-based company has grow-
ADEX. of the aircraft enable it to be used for a ing ties with South Korea and in 2017
Company officials believe that the wide variety of critical missions, including signed MoUs with Huneed Technologies
Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) maritime domain awareness, search and (Huneed) and Korean Advanced Institute
is the ideal fit for South Korea and other rescue, military surveillance patrol as well of Science and Technology (KAIST) as
militaries in Southeast Asia and the Asia as environmental protection. part of its industrial collaboration efforts
Pacific that are focusing on maritime The SeaGuardian, which has SATCOM in the country. In 2015, an U.S. Army Gray
domain awareness. Auto Take-off and Landing system that Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS),
A ground-up redesign of earlier variants, helps minimize the aircraft’s launch and developed by the company, was used
the MQ-9B – the SeaGuardian and the recovery footprint, has a maximum endur- to conduct manned-unmanned teaming
land-based SkyGuardian – is the only ance of 40 hours and in excess of 5400 exercises in South Korea.

KAI 600 kg of cargo and will use international the KF-21 and the new basic trainer, Black
standard cargo pallets for loading and Kite, which is being unveiled at ADEX 2021.
UNVEILS unloading cargo. One of the highlights of the rotary wing
zone is an amphibious attack helicopter
The UAM concept will be part of the com-
based on the Marine Corps amphibious
pany’s Future Vision Zone at the event; maneuver helicopter. The helicopter,
URBAN AIR the zone will also include a virtual demon- designed and developed locally, is being
MOBILITY stration flight of the KF-21, which is set to exhibited on the scale of a real aircraft.
have its first test flight in 2022.
The helicopter is equipped with a total of
INITIATIVE The exhibition arena will also have three stub wings, thus allowing the integration
six external arming stations by applying
other zones, including for fixed wing, of various armaments for amphibious
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has rotary wing aircraft and future business. support and attack missions such as
joined the list of companies that are work- On display at the fixed wing zone are the air-to-air, air-to-ground, and unguided
ing to make Urban Air Mobility (UAM), models of the FA-50 light attack aircraft, rockets.
which is fast gaining popularity in differ-
ent regions of the world, a reality in South
Korea.

At the ongoing ADEX 2021, the com-
pany has unveiled two UAM platforms,
one for manned short-distance transport
between cities and the other for transport
of cargo. KAI will use a 5-seater electric
powered vertical take-off and landing
(eVTOL) aircraft as the UAM vehicle for
manned transport; the vehicle is designed
to travel within 30 minutes between cities
and will have a maximum speed of 250 km
and a cruising distance of 100 km. The
UAM for unmanned cargo can load up to

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