South Korea to Mass-produce Digital Tactical Communication Network

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration of South Korea has decided to mass-produce the next-generation military communication system called Tactical Information Communication Network (TICN) by 2019.

This follows the successful field trial operation of the first prototype.

In the 5.3 trillion won ($4.7 billion) project, DAPA aims to replace its existing analog communication platform, called SPIDER, with the digital-based Tactical Information Communication Network, Yonhap News reported.

Block I-1 of TICN was locally developed in 2015 after five years of work, with the first round of mass production done the following year.

Several months of field tests showed that TICN enables more than ten times faster data transfers than SPIDER, according to the DAPA.

The SPIDER system can only transmit still images and voice data, but TICN can transmit video, image and voice data.

Accordingly, the arms procurement committee of DAPA approved the second round of equipment mass production by 2019.