Old Helicopters Transformed into Unmanned Combat Helicopters

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South Korea’s largest full-service carrier Korean Air Lines Co. and aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. have teamed up to develop unmanned combat helicopters.

Korean Air announced that its parent company Hanjin Group and Boeing signed a memorandum of agreement to join forces in developing unmanned 500MD choppers at its headquarters in Seoul.

Pulsenews reports that under the agreement, Boeing will provide some technical supports including flight control and demonstration, and conduct joint overseas marketing with Korean Air to sell the choppers.

The air carrier worked on converting aging 500MDs owned by the Korean Army into unmanned ones since 2014. Based on this experience, it plans to build 500MDs to unmanned combat helicopters by next year.

The 500MD was first developed in 1963 and Korean Air manufactured and supplied the fleet to the Korean military. The unmanned 500MD will be used for various purposes such as day and night reconnaissance, short-range strike and tactical surveillance.

“The partnership with Boeing is expected to create many business opportunities both at home and abroad,” said Ham Myung-rae, senior vice president of Korean Air’s aerospace division. “Both companies will continuously seek ways to improve cooperation in the unmanned vehicle business,” he added.