Koreans have created their own "shahed", but in a mini-version

At KADEX 2024 in Daejeon, Korea, Korean Air Aerospace demonstrated a kamikaze drone called KUS-LM.

Here's What We Know

The drone shown, although not completely, copies the Iranian Shahed and other similar drones.

In particular, the KUS-LM has features of the Shahed-131/136, but it is worth remembering that the Iranians were also "inspired" by the Israeli Harpy. And the latter, in turn, is a variation of the German DAR (Die Drohne Antiradar) from Dornier, which, however, was never put into mass production.

However, the Koreans did create a mini-version of these drones. The KUS-LM has a wingspan of just 1.2 metres and a length of 1.5 metres. For comparison, the Shahed-136 has a wingspan of 2.5 metres and 3.5 metres, respectively. Dornier's DAR had a wingspan of 2 metres and a length of 2.25 metres.

The Koreans also added a small horizontal front wing to their KUS-LM, although the overall aerodynamic design remained similar. As for the parameters of the Korean drone, despite its compact size, only its speed is known - 150 km/h. The range and weight of the warhead remain unknown, despite the demonstration at the exhibition.

This is not the first drone for Korean Air Aerospace, as it is a powerful drone developer with a wide range of drones. For example, the reconnaissance and strike KUS-FS went into mass production this year after 12 years since its first flight.

Source: Donga