Hanwha Aerospace unveils 'One Sky' engine development paradigm for crewed and uncrewed aircraft

Hanwha Aerospace on Thursday unveiled a new aviation engine development paradigm called "One Sky" — designed for integrated operations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft — at the Gas Turbine Symposium 2026 in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

As high-performance fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and drones emerge as key weapons systems in future battlefield environments, Hanwha Aerospace plans to leverage technology accumulated through its traditional aviation engine business to develop next-generation engines.

Executive Vice President Kim Sun said in a keynote address that rapidly developing aviation engines to meet the demands of a fast-changing security environment and new market requirements requires making full use of existing technology and accumulated experience.

"By drawing on the technology and experience Hanwha has built over 47 years developing and mass-producing dozens of engine types, we can develop aviation engines quickly and cost-effectively while minimizing risk," Kim said. "It is like drawing a blueprint when you already know the answer." Hanwha Aerospace defines this accumulated expertise as a competitive edge it calls "We Know Sky."

The company has resolved more than 1,000 technical challenges through over 10,000 engine test runs and has built a database of approximately 35,000 aviation engine materials.

Building on these capabilities, Hanwha Aerospace unveiled two prototype engines in July: a 5,500-pound-force turbofan engine for a low-observable unmanned wingman aircraft developed with indigenous technology under a government initiative, and a 1,400-horsepower-class turboprop engine for medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles. Both engines began ground testing this year, with commercialization targeted for after 2030.

Hanwha Aerospace also plans to minimize development risk through En-genius, its proprietary AI model trained on decades of accumulated aviation engine data.

"Every time an engine test fails, it costs billions of won and adds at least several months to the schedule, so we need a development framework that minimizes trial and error — and AI can play a central role in that," Kim said. "We will do our utmost to ensure that South Korea, drawing on Hanwha's technology and experience, can lead the 'New Sky' era in the future aviation market."