×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
MODERN AIR FORCES
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
MODERN AIRCRAFT
DRONE TECHNOLOGY
FUTURE FLIGHT
Aviation / Aerospace

KAI / Boeing KUS-VJ


Unmanned Attack Helicopter Gunship [ 2027 ]



The KUS-VJ is a unmanned rotary-wing gunship platform based on the MD500 and being proposed by Korean Air with technical assistance from Boeing.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/30/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The rise of unmanned attack aircraft over the battlefield is quite apparent to even the casual observer and Korean Air (Korean Aerospace Industries - KAI) of South Korea, along with U.S.-based Boeing, have agreed to jointly develop an unmanned, attack-minded version of the successful MD500 series light helicopter. With a large stock of aging MD500 units available to the South Korean Air Force, the project would see conversions of these systems to an unmanned model - designated "KUS-VH". A full-sized mock-up of the proposed product was seen at Seoul Aerospace & Defence Exhibition 2015.

Without the need of a pilot the helicopter will now see a reduced operational commitment over the battlescape. The passenger cabin is to be taken up by a large internal fuel tank increasing the operational range of the helicopter by 100%. The windscreen surfaces common to the MD500 will be shrouded over. By and large the overall form and function of the unit will remain intact. Optcis will be set in a fairing under the chin. Korean Air also markets the development under a low-cost approach to a comparable manned system of equal capabilities. Armament options will include rocket pods, gun pods and missiles which, when coupled to onboard systems, will provide a surgical strike capability with no potential pilot loss in enemy-held territory.

While the South Korean Air Force is not actively looking for a product like the KUS-VH, the possible reuse of the aging stock of MD500 helicopters might be tempting enough for the service to have a serious look. The MD500s currently in service will be retired over the next decade and number several hundred.

The Boeing participation in the program is key not only due to the company's position as a global defense powerhouse but also with its recent experience in developing its own H-6U "Little Bird" unmanned helicopter (detailed elsewhere on this site). The KUH-VH will be offered for export to American and South Korean allies.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

July 2020 - Korean Air has delayed additional development of its 500MD unmanned variant, choosing instead to finalized the Medium Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV) design (detailed elsewhere on this site).

Specifications



Korean Air - South Korea / Boeing Company - USA
Manufacturer(s)
South Korea (possible)
Operators National flag of South Korea
2027
Service Year
South Korea
National Origin
In-Development
Project Status
0
(UNMANNED)
Crew
1
Units


GROUND ATTACK
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
CLOSE-AIR SUPPORT
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.
INTELLIGENCE-SURVEILLANCE-RECONNAISSANCE
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
UNMANNED
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.


23.0 ft
(7.01 meters)
Length
26.3 ft
(8.03 meters)
Width/Span
8.5 ft
(2.60 meters)
Height
1,323 lb
(600 kilograms)
Empty Weight
2,866 lb
(1,300 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight
+1,543 lb
(+700 kg)
Weight Difference


Estimated: 1 x Allison 250-C20B turboshaft engine developing 420 horsepower and driving five bladed main rotor and four-bladed tail rotor.
Propulsion
162 mph
(260 kph | 140 knots)
Max Speed
13,862 ft
(4,225 m | 3 miles)
Ceiling
435 miles
(700 km | 378 nm)
Range
1,700 ft/min
(518 m/min)
Rate-of-Climb


MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


Variable - ordnance held across two wingstubs along fuselage sides and can include (in pairs of in single installation):

TOW Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs)
7.62mm General Electric M134 miniguns
Stinger short-range air-to-air missiles
Seven-shot rocket pods


2
Hardpoints


KUS-VJ - Proposed series designation


Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway
Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift
Military lapel ribbon for the Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War
Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War
Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for Special Forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era
Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Images



1 / 1
Image of the KAI / Boeing KUS-VJ
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)