Samsung Aerospace

Samsung Aerospace Industries

Company type	Subsidiary (former)
Industry	Aerospace manufacturing
Predecessor	Samsung Precision
Founded	August 1, 1977 (1977-08-01) in South Korea
Defunct	1999 (1999)
Fate	Integrated into Korea Aerospace Industries
Headquarters	Changwon , South Korea
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Jet engines, aircraft structural components, helicopter development

Samsung Aerospace Ind., Ltd. (SSA; Template:Korean) was a prominent aerospace manufacturer based in South Korea.

History

The company was initially founded as Samsung Precision (Template:Korean) on 1 August 1977, with a starting capital of ₩1 billion. Its first production facility, covering an area of approximately 100,000 square metres (1,100,000 sq ft), was established in Changwon, located in South Gyeongsang Province. Early on, the firm produced a range of items including cameras and lead frames; however, it gradually shifted its focus toward aerospace manufacturing. Reflecting this strategic change, the company adopted the name Samsung Aerospace Industries in February 1987. In 1996, SSA explored the possibility of acquiring the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, but this initiative was abandoned due to the economic challenges that South Korea faced in the late 1990s. Following the integration of its aircraft division with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in 1999—alongside Daewoo Heavy Industries and Hyundai Space and Aircraft—the company rebranded itself as Samsung Techwin in March 2000.

Business activity

The company’s operations included manufacturing and servicing jet engines, encompassing the assembly of models such as the GE J85, CFM56, LM2500, and F404 engines. Additionally, in partnership with Pratt & Whitney, they were involved in producing the PW 4000 engine. SSA also supplied turbine blades for the GE CF6-80C to General Electric. Their production extended to aircraft structural components, including manufacturing stringers for Boeing and fabricating wing ribs for various airplane models.

The company engaged in a joint venture with Sermatech International focused on surface treatment services for turbine engine parts. In 1996, SSA entered into a collaboration with Bell Helicopter to jointly develop the Bell 427 helicopter. Furthermore, they worked alongside the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute to advance the development of composite materials applicable to aviation.

During the early 1990s, SSA was responsible for delivering key assemblies and final assembly of F-16 Falcons for the Republic of Korea Air Force at their facility in Sacheon, operating under a license agreement with Lockheed Martin. The South Korean government and the United States cooperated on the development of the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle, a project executed through a joint venture between SSA and Lockheed Martin, initially known as the KTX-2.

External links

• Archived Samsung Aerospace website at the Wayback Machine (archived December 22, 1996)