U.S. Air Force airmen prepare to tow F-16 Fighting Falcons at Osan AB, South Korea.
CHANGWON, South Korea—Hanwha Aerospace is positioning its military engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities to support the U.S. Defense Department's Regional Sustainment Framework (RSF), offering services for U.S. military aircraft based in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon unveiled the RSF concept in May 2024, aiming to establish forward-positioned sustainment capacity within allied and partner nations. The Indo-Pacific has been identified as the initial focus area, with South Korea, Japan, Australia, the Philippines and Singapore selected as pilot countries.
The RSF includes pathway programs encompassing MRO for aircraft, naval vessels and tactical communications systems.
Hanwha is offering overhaul and inventory management services, specifically for the GE Aerospace F110 turbofan and T700 turboshaft engines, as well as the Pratt & Whitney F100. The company already provides MRO support for these engines for the South Korean armed forces, along with other types such as the F404, F414 and Rolls-Royce T56.
Baek Ilsong, Hanwha Aerospace senior manager of the MRO business group, says that virtually all engines from U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) are sent back to the continental U.S. for depot-level servicing. The RSF is being introduced as the U.S. cannot fulfill the capacity needed to support its forces overseas, he notes.
Hanwha aims to serve as a “sub-hub” in the RSF supply chain, delivering just-in-time maintenance to enhance the readiness of USFK stationed in South Korea.
The initial RSF pilot is expected to include three squadrons of USAF 7th Air Force F-16C/Ds based in South Korea, with plans for expansion to additional units.
The U.S. Army also maintains a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64E Apache unit in the country.
Baek notes that Nelson Williams, director of the RSF Indo-Pacific initiative in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Product Support, recently visited South Korea and Hanwha’s facilities to assess requirements for U.S. forces in the region.
Hanwha has participated in the U.S. Defense Department Maintenance Symposium and says another USAF delegation will visit South Korea and Hanwha's Changwon facility.
All engine activities take place at the Changwon No. 1 facility, which on average has a monthly capacity to handle around four engine modules per engine type. Hanwha adds that inducting more engines would be feasible, saying it is willing to expand its facility to fulfill increased MRO requirements from the RSF.
Cho Sanghawn, head of Hanwha's MRO business group, added that participating in the RSF will allow the company to better integrate into the supply chain, with acknowledgement and possibly technology transfer from the engine manufacturers. This will also, in turn, help Hanwha increase its capabilities and expand its military engine MRO to other countries.
Separately, Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD) currently provides depot-level maintenance for USAF airframes in South Korea.
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