Avio Aero and IONES have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for future cooperation on the development and integration of their products for the KF-X programs.

Avio Aero is participating in the KF-X bidding phase, and is a candidate to supply KAI with a newly designed gearbox to drive the aircraft hydraulic pump and main generator and to transmit power to the engines (GE F414, recently selected) during the starting phase: this piece of equipment will be designed and tested in Italy at the Avio Aero facilities, and will include the latest technological solutions adopted for the main civil and military applications developed for the aerospace market in recent years.

IONES has recently certified a PTO shaft connecting the engine to the aircraft gearbox for the T-50, and is a candidate to develop the shaft for the KF-X as well. As the sole shaft specialist for the nation's localization of high-performance power transmission for the aircraft axis, IONES uses a wide range of materials as compared with existing products, and leverages decades of accumulated processing and design technology, showing an excellent performance record and delivering light weight solutions.

If selected for the project by KAI, Avio Aero and IONES will cooperate to verify the dynamic behavior and interaction of the complete drivetrain and optimize the design of both individual components and the system as a whole, with the aim of improving the KF-X aircraft's performance and reliability.