South Korea to Strengthen Airborne Surveillance and Reconnaissance Capabilities

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(14/08/24)
 Korean Air and the U.S. defense contractor
L3Harris Technologies held an ‘L3 Industry Day’ at the Air Force
Hotel in Seoul on Tuesday, to discuss strengthening the South
Korean Air Force’s airborne surveillance and reconnaissance
capabilities.

Attendees included Jung Woo Park, Senior Vice
President and Head of Korean Air’s Aerospace Business Division,
Jason W. Lambert, President of L3Harris Intelligence, Surveillance
and Reconnaissance (ISR), and representatives from 30 domestic and
international defense companies, including Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI), ELTA Systems, LIG Nex1, Yeonhab Precision, and
Han-ul Systems.

The Republic of Korea Air Force is looking to
acquire additional Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C)
systems to enhance its surveillance capabilities.

From left: Jason W. Lambert, President, L3Harris (ISR); Michael Calderone, RVP, Bombardier Defense; Asaf Sharvit, VP & GM, Airborne Systems and Radar Division, ELTA Systems; Jung Woo Park, SVP and Head of Aerospace Business Division, Korean Air; and Chan Ho Kook, Head of C5ISR Business Division, LIG Nex1

Such aircraft serve as airborne command centers, providing
comprehensive airspace monitoring and real-time control of
military operations.

Currently, the Korean Air Force operates four
Boeing E-737 ‘Peace Eye’ airborne control aircraft and a second phase
of the project, with a budget of KRW 2.9 trillion (approximately
US$2.1 billion), is underway to
procure additional aircraft by 2031.

L3Harris has proposed a solution for the second
phase, integrating Bombardier’s Global 6500 aircraft with IAI’s
state-of-the-art radar systems.

Korean Air, leveraging its 2022
cooperation agreement with L3Harris, will contribute to aircraft
modification, parts manufacturing, and operational training.

The
project is expected to provide the domestic defense industry with
opportunities for technology transfer, enhancing indigenous
capabilities and facilitating integration into global supply
chains.

“If L3Harris’ Global 6500 AEW&C solution is
selected, we will leverage domestic industrial cooperation to
achieve our goal of Korean Made – Korean Operated – Korean
Maintained,” said Jason W. Lambert, President of L3Harris
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). “We look
forward to collaborating with local industry on aircraft
modification, mission system production, logistics, and MRO
support to enhance the safety, security and overall well-being of
the Republic of Korea.”

Since 1978, Korean Air has maintained and
performed various performance improvements on approximately 6,000
Korean and U.S. military aircraft.

Such operations are conducted
at the airline’s Busan Tech Center, Korean Air’s military aircraft
maintenance base, which is the largest such facility in the
Asia-Pacific region.

The tech center’s proven expertise and
advanced facilities position it as a key asset for the proposed
AEW&C project, offering comprehensive capabilities in aircraft
modification, systems integration, and long-term fleet
maintenance.

“This strategic collaboration will enable Korean
Air to acquire and develop cutting-edge technologies in the
modification, systems integration, and comprehensive maintenance
of advanced special mission aircraft,” said Jung Woo Park, Head of
Korean Air’s Aerospace Business Division. “As a frontrunner in
Korea’s aviation sector, we are dedicated to cultivating strategic
alliances within the defense industry and bolstering the entire
aerospace aftermarket value chain.”

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