S.Korea to Develop Long-Range Air Defense Radar

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has launched a project to develop an indigenous long-range air defense radar.

DAPA said it has signed a four-year development project valued 46 billion won ($41 million) with LIG Nex1. It plans to start deploying the radars in 2027.

The radar would be capable of monitoring and identifying aircraft inside the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) and sending information to the Air Force's Master Control and Reporting Center for defense operations.

The government had earlier pushed for a long-range radar development project with LIG Nex1 but the program was scrapped as what was under development at the time failed to meet the required performance criteria.

In an effort to raise the company's responsibility, the government had it shoulder 65% of the development cost in the joint development project, Yonhap News Agency reported citing officials.

"When the radar is deployed, a more thorough monitoring of the KADIZ will be possible and it is also expected to contribute to vitalizing the domestic defense industry by replacing the foreign radars with the locally developed one," an agency official said.