The Korean fighter jet (KF-21) will be equipped with the 'aircraft AESA radar' developed with purely domestic technology.
On the 6th, according to Hanwha Systems, a ceremony for the first production of the AESA radar for the Korean fighter jet (KF-21) was held at the Hanwha Systems Yongin Comprehensive Research Institute, hosted by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and organized by Hanwha Systems.
About 50 attendees from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Air Force, Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ) were present at the event.
Hanwha Systems signed the remaining contracts this year, following the initial mass production contract for the AESA radar last year, and a total of 40 AESA radars are expected to be installed on the KF-21 by 2028.
The AESA radar, known as the 'eye' of the fighter jet, is a state-of-the-art radar capable of performing various missions such as detection and tracking of air, ground, and maritime targets simultaneously. It has a wider detection range and faster response time than existing mechanical radars, and it can identify and engage multiple targets at the same time, making it a key piece of equipment that influences the survival and outcome of modern air combat.
After the United States refused technology transfer in 2015, there were significant doubts about whether development could proceed solely with domestic technology. Hanwha Systems participated in the AESA radar prototype project led by the Agency for Defense Development, successfully delivering the first prototype in 2020, four years after the commencement of development.
The antenna testing facility at the Hanwha Systems Yongin Comprehensive Research Institute, where this delivery ceremony was held, is a state-of-the-art research facility newly established at the end of last year for the AESA radar.
It is equipped with a near-field test facility capable of simultaneously testing the performance of up to four airborne small radars and can accurately measure and verify the core functions, performance, and characteristics of the AESA radar antenna, which consists of over 1,000 transmission and reception channels.
Park Hyuk, head of the DE division at Hanwha Systems, noted, 'Hanwha Systems is the only company in Korea that has succeeded in the domestic development of aircraft AESA radar, ensuring stable mass production and even achieving exports,' adding, 'We will accelerate our global market penetration with AESA radars that can be applied to various platforms from mid-tier fighters to light fighters and small drones.'