Korea Aerospace Unveils Large, Small Drones to Work Alongside KF-21 Fighter

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has unveiled two types of combat drones to fly alongside its KF-21 fighter jet which is set to enter service in 2027-28.

Called the Small Unmanned Collaborative Aircraft (SUCA) and the Medium Unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (MUCCA), the two drones are displayed for the first time at the current Dubai Air Show.

"While the SUCA is intended to perform reconnaissance and target designation roles, the MUCCA is a stealth combat platform hiding missiles in its belly. It will enter well-protected airspace and release missiles with endangering the lives of pilots," a KAI executive told defensemirror.com at the ongoing Dubai Airshow.

The MUCCA is particularly interesting, he said. The size of a medium size aircraft such as the T-50, the MUCCA drone is practically a stealth aircraft operating under the control of the KF-21.

MUCCA is a reusable and attritable medium-class Unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft designed as an AI-enabled UCAV within a manned-unmanned teaming system for missions on Day 1 in highly contested environments. Positioned ahead of manned fighter aircraft, it can engage critical enemy facilities, dynamic targets, and also operate independently. MUCCA features cooperative missions with manned fighters, AI-based autonomous functions, stealth characteristics, and a reusable platform with internal air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. It supports modular payloads such as AESA radar, EOTS, and electronic warfare systems. MUCCA uses a single turbofan engine producing 4,100 lbf of thrust, has a range of 1,400 nm, reaches Mach 0.85, carries a payload of 2,650 lbs, and has a maximum take-off weight of 5,420 kg.