A consortium of LIG Nex1 and Korean Air has gained the upper hand in a project to develop an electronic warfare aircraft that neutralizes an enemy's entire network using domestic technology. In the bid proposal evaluation, it scored higher than the consortium of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Systems. There is still an objection process before the preferred negotiation partner is selected, but barring any surprises, LIG Nex1 is expected to oversee overall development, with Korean Air in charge of the airframe.
According to the defense industry on the 22nd, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration is said to have given a higher score to the LIG Nex1 consortium. Since last week, the agency has been evaluating each company's electronic warfare equipment technology and airframe integration capability, among other factors. After a debriefing explaining the proposal evaluation scores and reasons, an objection process, and verification of the evaluation results, the agency plans to officially select the preferred negotiation partner around next month.
An electronic warfare aircraft enters the battlefield ahead of fighter jets and uses various electronic equipment mounted on the airframe to neutralize the enemy's air-defense radar and communications systems. It is an essential weapons system for modern battlefields, known as electronic warfare. The military authorities plan to invest 1.9 trillion won (1.7775 trillion won in the notice) by 2034 to develop the aircraft. In this project, the contractor will handle everything from design to integration, and a foreign-made civilian airliner will be modified into an electronic warfare aircraft.
The electronic warfare aircraft project drew attention because of its large scale and the intense public competition among companies, and it carries significance as a challenge to develop such aircraft, which only the United States and Russia have developed and operate in combat. Electronic warfare aircraft are classified as strategic assets because they can collect and analyze enemy threat signals, neutralize the enemy's integrated air-defense network and wireless communications systems, and enhance the survivability of friendly forces. Italy and Japan are also reported to have not yet succeeded in development.
The Korean military currently relies on U.S. electronic warfare aircraft. Technology transfer is also limited. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration and contractors aim to field a domestic electronic warfare aircraft to reduce reliance on U.S. forces. Industry believes a jamming range of at least 200 kilometers is needed to cover the entire Korean Peninsula. High-performance transmit-and-receive antenna technology is required to secure enemy electronic signals while disrupting the enemy by emitting powerful radio waves. The agency is also said to have closely examined the electronic warfare equipment in this evaluation.
LIG Nex1 is said to have highlighted the strengths of its electronic warfare equipment during the evaluation. Starting with the country's first fighter-borne electronic warfare equipment (ALQ-200), LIG Nex1 is now nearing development of an aviation platform signals intelligence system and the integrated electronic warfare equipment for the KF-21. It has also developed the Army's ground tactical electronic warfare equipment and the Navy's shipborne electronic warfare equipment (SONATA). SONATA in particular gained fame during the 2011 Aden Gulf operation by neutralizing pirates' radar.
Korean Air is also said to have emphasized its civilian aircraft modification capabilities, built through the P-3C maritime patrol aircraft performance upgrade and the first phase of the Baekdu program, a new reconnaissance aircraft development project.