South Korea goals to develop homegrown airborne EW and stand-off jamming expertise as a part of the Block-I Digital Warfare System Improvement Undertaking.
In response to South Korea’s Block-I Digital Warfare System Improvement Undertaking, the Protection Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) is inspecting ideas and bids by one other consortium of native protection and aerospace majors. The KRW 1.775 trillion ($1.3 billion) funding plans to induct an unidentified variety of plane, which reviews say is 4, by 2034.
KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries) and Hanwha Programs formally unveiled in a press launch on Sep. 28, 2025, their idea for the mission, based mostly on a Bombardier International 6500 plane. The EW/SOJ (Digital Warfare/Stand Off Jammer) plane is reported to supply capabilities and expertise similar to the U.S. Air Drive’s EA-37B Compass Name.
The Block-I program developed to develop an indigenous system, given the strategically delicate nature of digital warfare expertise. Even Japan has introduced plans for its personal EW system, based mostly on its domestically-developed Kawasaki P-1 MPA (Maritime Patrol Plane).
One other contender for this system is a tie-up between Korean Air and LIG Nex1, which reviews from Korea mentioned is within the lead. DAPA is anticipated to announce the contract winner by October.
Whereas KAI and Korean Air will conduct modifications on the International 6500 and/or Gulfstream G550 plane, respectively, together with the ultimate manufacturing rollout, Hanwha and LIG Nex1 will develop, take a look at and set up the requisite EW/SIGINT/Jamming tools, mission programs and software program.
KAI-Hanwha airborne EW idea
In its press launch, KAI mentioned it unveiled a preliminary design on the 2025 Electromagnetic Warfare Workshop held on the aTCenter in Seoul on Sep. 17, including it has now submitted a proper bid to the DAPA. The rendering launched by KAI exhibits a conformal array, nearly alongside the whole size of the International 6500’s fuselage, together with antennas and sensors on the dorsal aspect.
KAI’s EW/SOJ (Stand Off Jamming) idea “goes past a easy plane form; it’s the results of synthesizing the home plane improvement capabilities and applied sciences accrued over the previous 40 years as the one full plane system integration firm in Korea,” says the corporate.
Relating to the system’s design configuration, KAI mentioned its totally side-mounted arrays consider “plane output and heart of gravity, cooling/energy system integration, maximizing radar and antenna efficiency, and enhancing survivability, in addition to the fuselage of the Bombardier G6500, the fundamental platform for this digital warfare mission.”
KAI added the EW tools put in on the plane underbelly space reduces the general plane top from the bottom, risking collision “within the occasion of an irregular scenario comparable to a tire rupture,” and measures have been taken to keep away from such threat.
“Accordingly, KAI and Hanwha Programs adopted a design that realizes the miniaturization and light-weight of the digital warfare execution system and integrates it on either side of the fuselage,” explains KAI. “[This minimizes] the degradation of the plane efficiency whereas decreasing interference with varied antennas and maximizing digital warfare execution capabilities.”
South Korea’s ROKAF is claimed to be taking a look at this type of AEW&C platform to reinforce its current, standard config E-7A Peace Eye AEW&C.
Present plan appears into Korean Air collaborating wiv L3 Harris and ELTA pic.twitter.com/t0jWt1G7Hg
— Garuda Rajawali (@GardaAramis) September 28, 2025
KAI additionally attracts a comparability with the EA-37B Compass Name, calling it the “strongest digital warfare plane in existence,” saying it has the identical design, with a “concentrate on concurrently securing digital warfare mission capabilities and plane flight security.”
KAI then highlighted its prime contractor position within the Baekdu-II mission to develop and manufacture 4 ISR plane; the profitable completion of the Peace Eye program by integrating the RoKAF’s model of the E-7A Wedgetail, the E-737; the P-3CK Maritime Patrol Plane; the event of latest plane and helicopters just like the KT-1, T-50/TA-50/FA-50, KF-21, KUH, and LAH.
Korean Air-LIG Nex1 proposal
The opposite competitor, a consortium of Korean Air and LIG Nex1, introduced the partnership on Sep. 21, in line with Yonhap. The publication added that each firms “deliberate to submit their ultimate proposal for the mission in early September.”
This was adopted by a FlightGlobal report on Sep. 24 mentioning the Korean Air-LIG Nex1 bid “pulled forward within the competitors.” The report additionally quoted firm officers who mentioned that it was the “highest scoring bidder” within the mission.
There are conflicting reviews on the selection of the service plane for the Korean Air-LIG Nex1 idea. FlightGlobal reported that Korean Air confirmed the plane can be based mostly on the International 6500, whereas Janes reviews it is going to be based mostly on the Gulfstream G550.
The Korean Air idea has a conformal sensor on the entrance portion of the aspect fuselage, working between the wing root and the entrance part, together with a big ventral array. Each configurations are in step with plane within the airborne SIGINT and electromagnetic spectrum warfare roles.
The way forward for digital warfare in motion!
The forty third ECS simply flew the primary coaching sortie for the EA-37B, a cutting-edge electromagnetic assault plane that gives enhanced capabilities to disrupt adversary networks and assist our forces. 👇 pic.twitter.com/sMjq8eUphu
— Air Fight Command (@aircombatcmd) Might 13, 2025
Chosun reported on Sep. 22 that the Korean Air and LIG Nex1 proposal “scored increased” within the bid analysis course of by DAPA, however an “objection course of” nonetheless stays earlier than the ultimate contractor is chosen. DAPA “has been evaluating every firm’s digital warfare tools expertise and airframe integration functionality, amongst different elements,” Chosun added.
‘Want for homegrown EW expertise’
The publication additionally mirrored the federal government’s imaginative and prescient to be self-reliant in EW applied sciences, and cut back reliance on U.S. EW plane, from whom “expertise switch can be restricted.”
Chosun added that the nation wants a jamming vary of “at the very least 200 km to cowl the whole Korean Peninsula.” Moreover, “high-performance transmit-and-receive antenna expertise is required to safe enemy digital alerts whereas disrupting the enemy by emitting highly effective radio waves.”
