South Korean aerospace company Hanwha Aerospace, which, among other things, produces F414 turbofan engines under license from GE Aerospace, has released a video showing a concept for a sixth-generation fighter jet powered by F414 engines, Army Recognition reports.
Hanwha Aerospace's F414-GE-400K engines are used in the promising KAI KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, a joint development of South Korea and Indonesia. These aircraft, which are considered 4.5-generation fighters, have already passed tests, and the production of the first 20 machines began in the summer of 2024. In total, Korea plans to receive 40 KAI KF-21 Block I (interceptors) and 80 KAI KF-21 Block II (multi-role fighters) by 2032. In addition, exports of these aircraft are also possible, at least Poland is trying to join the project in 2026, buying out the share of Indonesia, which has reduced its participation.
Hanwha Aerospace is the former Samsung Precision (1977–1987), Samsung Aerospace (1987–2000) and Samsung Techwin (2000–2015). Hanwha Group acquired this stake in 2015. I wonder if Samsung regrets leaving the defense sector? Hanwha Group also includes a stake in the bankrupt Daewoo, one of the world's largest shipbuilding companies, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, which has been called Hanwha Ocean since 2023.
In the aforementioned video from Hanwha Aerospace, the same F414 engines can be seen being used on an unnamed sixth-generation fighter concept. The concept shows a delta-wing fighter in a configuration without vertical tail fins. The fuselage is integrated with the wing structure. The aircraft is powered by two F414 engines with variable thrust vectoring and partially enclosed exhausts, which may indicate efforts to reduce infrared signatures and maintain high-performance flight characteristics such as supercruise mode.
There are no external suspension or weapons assemblies visible, which may indicate that the weapons will be located inside the fuselage, as in all fifth and sixth generation stealth aircraft. The presence of a cockpit indicates that this is a manned, or at least optionally manned, platform. Overall, the concept closely resembles the Chinese sixth generation fighter Chengdu J-36 and other sixth generation aircraft concepts.
According to Army Recognition, South Korea currently has all the components and key technologies for developing a sixth-generation fighter. Integration of internal weapon bays, unmanned aerial vehicle communication system (KUS-X), joint use of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (MUM-T), laser weapons, and artificial intelligence technologies for tactical awareness and mission optimization systems, etc.
According to South Korean media, representatives of the South Korean defense ministry held talks with Saudi Arabia in 2024 on the joint development of a sixth-generation fighter based on the KF-21 platform. The South Korean proposal emphasized the advantage of using the existing KF-21 program to reduce development time. The project involves converting the KAI KF-21 Block III into a fifth-generation fighter and creating sixth-generation MUM-T systems (Manned-Unmanned Teaming - aviation systems that combine manned and unmanned aircraft) on its basis.
Saudi Arabia's participation was proposed after South Korea's failed attempts to join the European sixth-generation fighter development program GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme), led by the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan. Initial talks with Saudi defense officials are said to have been positive.
But there is one not-so-convenient nuance to this project, namely the F414-GE-400K engine, which is manufactured by Hanwha Aerospace under a US license. This is the same trap that Saab AB fell into with the Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter, the export of which is complicated by the risk of a US ban.
Recall that Boeing was recently announced as the winner of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program to develop the sixth-generation American fighter.