(Seoul = News1) Reporters Park Eung-jin and Kang Min-kyung: The U.S. State Department has approved a sale of airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft worth $4.92 billion (approximately 6.8 trillion Korean won) to South Korea. However, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated that the specific model for the additional AEW&C aircraft has not been finalized.
On the 5th, DAPA announced, “The second phase of the Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft project is currently undergoing negotiations and evaluations among multiple companies, including Boeing. No specific model has been determined yet.” They added, “We will promote the model selection and contract signing through fair and transparent procedures and strive for timely force integration.”
Currently, three companies are competing through evaluations, including Boeing with its E-7A, L3 Harris with the G6500, and Sweden’s Saab with the GlobalEye. The final decision on the model is expected to be made as early as this year, or at the latest, by the first half of next year.
The South Korean military is in the process of adding more AEW&C aircraft by 2031 through this second project. AEW&C aircraft, equipped with high-performance radar, detect enemy aircraft flying at long distances and monitor missile launch trends, reporting back to ground bases and directing allied fighters.
Currently, the South Korean Air Force operates four E-737 “Peace Eye” AEW&C aircraft. It is anticipated that four additional units will be purchased through this second phase.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the Department of Defense announced on its website on the 4th (local time) that the U.S. State Department approved a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to provide South Korea with four E-7 aircraft, CFM56 jet engines, and related support programs.
This FMS contract approval by the U.S. government is a typical procedure that occurs before DAPA’s model selection and does not mean that DAPA has decided on Boeing’s E-7 as the AEW&C aircraft to be acquired by the South Korean military.