Korean Air teams up with US firm Archer to develop military AAM

Korean Air announced Monday it is partnering with US electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company Archer Aviation to pursue a military advanced air mobility (AAM) program. The plan envisions using a foreign-developed civilian airframe as the foundation for acquiring military conversion technology, building a phased domestic localization and airworthiness certification framework, and ultimately linking the effort to overseas exports.

Korean Air and Archer are working to define their respective roles and technical cooperation arrangements for military AAM development. Korean Air will lead military conversion and systems integration, while Archer provides airframe-related technology along with its airworthiness certification experience and data.

Major countries have recently entered a race to secure military AAM capabilities in response to a changing future battlefield environment. Military AAM platforms are drawing attention as a key future force asset capable of performing a wide range of missions, including troop transport, medical evacuation, search and rescue, and special operations support.

The South Korean government has designated the development of the future mobility industry as a national policy priority. Korea faces the challenge of overcoming its mountainous and island-heavy terrain while securing future aerial assets capable of rapidly deploying emergency supplies and personnel. The need to complete military AAM development and domestic localization through swift program execution has been raised as an urgent task.

The defining feature of the military AAM program being pursued by Korean Air and Archer is its structure as a Korea-US strategic technology cooperation model led by Korean Air. Korean Air will lead military conversion and systems integration, while Archer supports technology cooperation and airworthiness certification.

The two companies are finalizing their division of roles and technical cooperation framework for military AAM development. A central element is the introduction of Archer's AAM aircraft, the Midnight — validated by the US Air Force — and its adaptation for Korean military requirements. This approach is expected to allow rapid improvement of next-generation military air transport systems.

The partners have also drawn up a roadmap for the phased domestic localization of military conversion technology. The plan calls for building a domestic supply chain and expanding the participation of Korean companies, with the long-term goal of establishing a domestic military AAM industrial ecosystem.

Archer's experience and data from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness certification process are expected to prove particularly valuable in helping Korea establish its own AAM airworthiness certification framework. Airworthiness certification is the government process of testing and verifying that an aircraft can fly safely before authorizing its operation.

Korean Air believes the collaboration with Archer can move forward if the project is designated as a rapid prototype program by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Through such a designation, the two companies plan to validate the military utility of AAM platforms and use that foundation to lay the groundwork for Korea's military AAM industry.

The two companies are also exploring a cooperation model that would allow them to pursue third-country exports on the basis of their technology partnership and phased localization efforts. The arrangement could evolve into a Korea-US strategic defense cooperation model capable of capturing an early lead in the global military AAM market.

The program also carries significant implications for building Korea's AAM airworthiness certification framework. The FAA airworthiness certification data package that Archer will provide during the military AAM development process could be used to establish domestic AAM certification standards.

Industry sources say the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has conveyed to relevant agencies that it places high value on Archer's FAA airworthiness certification data package. Officials believe it will not only support airworthiness certification aligned with the military AAM development schedule, but also help Korea meet its 2028 commercialization target for Korean-style urban air mobility (K-UAM) — reducing trial and error during development and delivering substantial savings in time and budget.

An official from Korean Air's aerospace division said military AAM development represents "a blue ocean and an opportunity for Korea to secure leadership in future aviation capabilities and the AAM industry among the world's major nations." The official added that the company aims to "seize the golden time for Korea's AAM technological advancement through Korea-US technology cooperation with Archer and build a new defense export model."