Three years ago, South Korea announced a project to develop an escort drone that would operate in groups with the KAI KF-21 Boramae fighter jet. Yesterday, the prototype of the Low Observable Unmanned Wingman System (LOWUS) drone was finally officially shown by Korean Air, which developed it at its campus in Busan.
As the image shared three years ago, the LOWUS has a design similar to the Loyal Wingman drone developed for the Royal Australian Air Force. The drone has an air vent for the jet engine on the top, a tail in a V-shaped configuration and a design that makes it difficult to detect by radar.
Like the Loyal Wingman, the LOWUS is believed to carry weapons or sensors for battlefield monitoring inside the body to reduce its ability to be detected by radar. LOWUS will make its first flight this year and is expected to begin operating alongside the KF-21 as early as 2027.
The use of drones together with human-controlled fighter jets is seen as an intermediary before all future fighter jets no longer require pilots. The Loyal Wingman and Skyborg projects use drones to conduct reconnaissance missions and strike high-risk targets. In the case of the KF-21, the first version of the fighter could only perform air-to-air strikes. With the LOWUS, bombs can be carried and the KF-21 pilot can direct them to drop bombs when needed.