S. Korea developing vertical take-off plane: official

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is developing a new type of aircraft that can take off and land vertically to conduct reconnaissance missions, Seoul's top procurement official said Monday.

Noh Dae-rae, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said at a local seminar that South Korea is developing a tilt-rotor type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which has the same vertical-takeoff capability of a helicopter but still retains the speed and range of a traditional, winged aircraft.

"We're one of only a few countries in the world developing a tilt-rotor UAV," Noh said during the 17th International Aerospace Symposium in Seoul. "Based on our information technology integration capabilities, we will make some aggressive investments into UAV development and pave the way for the future of aerospace industries."

Sources said Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is working on the tilt-rotor UAV. Previous tilt-rotor types have been produced by such companies as Israel Aircraft Industries, Boeing and Bell Helicopter.