Over the course of today, Hanwha Systems held a ceremony to mark the start of production of the new AESA radars that will equip the KAI KF-21 fighter jets of the South Korean Air Force. The event took place at the Integrated Research Institute with support from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). This milestone is significant for the program, as the company secured the final contracts for radar production earlier this year, following an initial mass production agreement signed last year.
Among the official statements made during the event, notable remarks came from Park Hyuk, head of Hanwha Systems’ DE division:“Hanwha Systems is the only company in Korea to have successfully developed a domestically produced AESA radar for aircraft, securing stable mass production and even achieving exports. We will accelerate our entry into the global market with AESA radars that can be applied to various platforms, from medium-level fighters to light jets and small drones.”
By 2028, Hanwha Systems is aiming to produce and install 40 radars to equip the KF-21 fleet, suggesting a similar delivery pace for the aircraft that will be manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The AESA radars are considered one of the most important components of South Korea’s first indigenous fighter design. According to local reports, the radar will provide the platform with advanced simultaneous detection capabilities across three domains—air, land, and sea—while also significantly extending the range of traditional mechanical radars.
It is worth recalling that the domestic development of the AESA radar faced several challenges, mainly due to the U.S. refusal in 2015 to transfer key technologies that would have facilitated its development. In response, Hanwha Systems and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) led the efforts to create a prototype, which was finally delivered in 2020—four years after the start of the fully local development program.
Lastly, it is important to note that Hanwha Systems’ involvement in the KF-21 program is not limited to the AESA radars for the aircraft. The company is also responsible for developing these radars for the Loyal Wingman drones that will operate alongside the KF-21 in the future. These drones will also be built by KAI, which unveiled the first concept designs in 2022 after being selected in a government-led bidding process. At the time, the images showed small groups of three to four drones per manned aircraft, designed to escort the fighter and support it with surveillance and electronic warfare capabilities.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only
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