South Korea, Boeing to jointly build new spy drones

Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced plans for a joint research initiative with U.S. defense giant Boeing focused on the development of high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles.

Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in April for joint research and development of advanced weapons systems, officials from DAPA and Boeing convened at the company’s headquarters in Washington. The collaboration aims to leverage Boeing’s expertise in design and unmanned technology while aiming for Korean companies to take charge of advanced aircraft’s production.

While the specific aircraft models for the project have not been finalized, both parties also agreed to collaborate on the maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade of Boeing’s existing aircraft used by the Korean military.

This collaboration adds to Korea’s existing use of Boeing-built aircraft such as the F-15K fighter jets, E-737 early warning and control aircraft, and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.

In a separate initiative, DAPA officials, along with representatives from four major Korean shipbuilders, visited key shipyards in the United States earlier this week. The purpose was to explore opportunities for arms industry cooperation and potential involvement of Korean companies in U.S. Navy projects.

The discussions included talks at the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, aimed at fostering deeper collaboration in the defense sector.