South Korea's New Air Defense Radar Approved for Combat Use

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced today that its newly developed long-range air defense radar has been approved for combat use.

This radar, capable of detecting and tracking aircraft within the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) 24 hours a day, will play a key role in the Republic of Korea Air Force's air defense operations. It transmits radar information to the Air Force's Central Air Defense Control Center (MCRC) in real-time, ensuring immediate responses to potential air threats.

The long-range radar project began in February 2021 when DAPA signed a system development contract with LIG Nex1, which led the design, manufacturing, and testing of prototypes. After about 18 months of extensive testing, the radar was deemed combat-suitable. The testing process included performance trials under extreme temperatures, electromagnetic compatibility tests, durability assessments of core components, flight tests, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) certification by U.S. defense agencies. Through these evaluations, the radar met all the requirements of the Air Force, demonstrating high detection range, accuracy, and reliability, thus meeting the military's performance criteria.

The project has also advanced domestic radar technology, including innovations in large antenna design and production, heat dissipation, beam template optimization for the Korean Peninsula's unique environment, and the development of gallium nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor transceiver modules.

DAPA plans to finalize the defense standards by January 2025, and mass production of the radar systems is scheduled to begin in 2026. This will allow the military to gradually replace aging radar systems with new domestically produced long-range radars.