The Defense Acquisition Program Administration of South Korea (DAPA) announced on September 30 that the U.S. company L3Harris was selected to develop and supply the new Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft system (AEW&C II) for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).
The program envisions the acquisition of four AEW&C aircraft that will be progressively incorporated until 2032, with a total budget of 3.09 trillion won (approximately 2.2 billion dollars). These aircraft will complement the four E-737 “Peace Eye” currently in service since 2012, which have faced operational availability issues in recent years.
The winning proposal from L3Harris is based on the Bombardier Global 6500 executive jet, which will be integrated with the Israeli ELTA EL/W-2085 radar, a dual-band system with GaN (gallium nitride) technology designed to improve detection and aerial surveillance capabilities. The competitor was Swedish company Saab, which offered the GlobalEye AEW&C, also based on the Global 6500 but equipped with its Erieye ER radar.
According to DAPA, “there were no significant differences in the technical performance of the main equipment,” although L3Harris obtained a higher score “in the areas of operational suitability, contribution to the national defense industry, and operating and maintenance costs,” while Saab stood out in “contractual conditions and acquisition costs.”
The project seeks to strengthen South Korea’s aerial surveillance capability in light of increasing threats in the region. DAPA stated that the acquisition “will ensure continuous aerial surveillance capability against enemy threats both in times of peace and war, and will enable more autonomous and efficient air control operations by South Korean forces.”
L3Harris will be responsible for the modification of the Global 6500, integration of the radar and mission systems, and final delivery of the aircraft. The U.S. company announced cooperation agreements with Korean Air since 2023. According to a statement from the airline, “Korean Air has participated since the beginning and will provide engineering, lead modification and testing in-country for aircraft three and four, and will also be responsible for program sustainment in South Korea.”
For his part, Jason Lambert, president of L3Harris’s ISR sector, highlighted during the Industry Day held in August 2024: “If the AEW&C Global 6500 solution from L3Harris is selected, we will leverage strategic and domestic industrial collaboration to achieve our goal of ‘Made in Korea – Operated in Korea – Maintained in Korea.’ We are excited to strengthen the local industry with new capabilities in aircraft modification, mission system production, logistics, and maintenance.”
The AEW&C II program was initiated by South Korea in 2020 to complement its fleet of E-737, but faced delays due to budgetary difficulties and negotiations with suppliers. With the decision of acquisition committee number 171, the country moves forward in strengthening its air defense, with the goal of concluding the project by 2032.
*Images for illustrative purposes
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