Korean Air will buy 4 Bombardier World 6500 enterprise jets, of which two will probably be modified with L3Harris’ assist and the opposite two will probably be modified in South Korea.
L3Harris introduced on Oct. 20, 2025, it has formally obtained the contract from South Korea for its subsequent AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Management) plane. The consortium of L3Harris and Korean Air beforehand received the open competitors by the Protection Acquisitions and Program Administration (DAPA) on Sep. 30.
This system, valued at $2.6 billion, will contain modifying 4 Bombardier World 6500 enterprise jets with the conformal Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) EL/W-2085 AESA (Lively Electronically Scanned Array) radar, and different requisite methods to be delivered to the RoKAF (Republic of Korea Air Power) by 2032. Korean Air would buy the 4 plane and “co-develop plane No. 1 and No. 2, and deal with home modifications for No. 3 and No. 4,” stated ChosunBiz.
There was nonetheless no announcement by the DAPA web site on this regard, saying the closure of the open tender and the award of the contract. South Korea’s AEW&C II tender, which was determined by the 171st Protection Acquisition Program Promotion Committee late in September, noticed L3Harris’ proposal beat out the opposite contender, the Saab GlobalEye AEW&C system.
📢 Landmark contract: We’ve been chosen to ship modified @Bombardier World 6500 plane with airborne early warning and management methods to the Republic of Korea Air Power. These superior plane promise mission readiness!✈️ Learn extra: pic.twitter.com/WXRRYsRdyi
— L3Harris (@L3HarrisTech) October 19, 2025
A November 2024 direct FMS (Overseas Navy Gross sales) approval from the U.S. of 4 extra E-7s is now additionally successfully cancelled. The ROKAF already operates 4 E-7A Wedgetails, regionally designated because the E-737, that have been inducted by 2012 below the Peace Eye mission. These plane had nonetheless been experiencing low mission availability charges.
Korean reviews
ChosunBiz additionally defined that Korean Air is predicted to buy two extra World 6500 plane for the “digital and electrical mission,” referring to an airborne digital warfare and jamming plane program. That is South Korea’s Block-I Digital Warfare System Growth Venture, for which the DAPA is inspecting idea proposals by two consortiums of Korean firms, together with KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries)-Hanwha Methods, and Korean Air-LIG Nex1.
For this, L3Harris had additionally displayed scale mannequin ideas of World 6500-based conformal array system designated “Crow”, together with the CAEW (Conformal Airborne Early Warning) and ISTAR platforms referred to as “Phoenix” and “Griffon,” respectively, at South Korea’s Aerospace Convention in 2024.
L3Harris showcased a mannequin of the World 6500 “Phoenix” AEW&C on the #TADTE2025. The plane, based mostly on the Bombardier World 6500 enterprise jet, is provided with the latest-generation EL/W-2085 CAEW (L&S) dual-band AESA radar from Israeli firm ELTA Methods, utilizing GaN… pic.twitter.com/0rnRYuRI8c
— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) September 20, 2025
A scale mannequin of the L3Harris CAEW system was additionally displayed on the TADTE 2025 in Taiwan, for Taipei’s efforts to interchange its older E-2K AEW&C plane. South Korean reviews describe the AEW&C plane as “flying radar and command posts,” that “detect and analyze key targets throughout the nation and conduct real-time command and management of army operations from the air.”
“The high-altitude, long-range enterprise jet modified for the airborne management mission makes use of AI-based, state-of-the-art radar expertise to assist air battle administration,” ChosunBiz stated.
These plane will fly sooner and function longer to enhance the nation’s mission readiness. They may also cruise at greater altitudes for improved security and supply combat-proven radar protection to extra rapidly detect and observe threats. The communications suite will present interoperability with the US, NATO and coalition companions, making a networked battlespace with fifth-generation plane and past.
ChosunBiz’s English-language model quoted a Korean Air official, who stated: “By means of this Airborne Management Plane mission, we’ll safe expertise for modifying, integrating, and sustaining the newest special-mission plane. As a number one home aerospace firm, we’ll do our greatest to ascertain an industrial basis for large-scale special-mission plane to strengthen nationwide protection capabilities.”
‘Finest, confirmed plane and expertise for South Korea’
L3Harris’ chair and CEO Christopher Kubasik stated within the press launch that the corporate is “able to ship a sophisticated plane fleet that may strengthen mission effectiveness for a key American ally within the Indo-Pacific area.” He additional added “We sit up for collaborating with the Republic of Korea to develop, check, combine and maintain this very important functionality for years to return.”
Bombardier’s President and CEO Éric Martel touched upon the World 6500’s “reliability and efficiency to assist essentially the most demanding missions” which ensures the plane is “the go-to selection for governments in search of to modernize their capabilities […] amid rising geopolitical tensions.”
IAI’s president and CEO Boaz Levy recognized “world-class, field-proven” AEW and particular mission plane applied sciences like “sensor miniaturization and superior AESA radar expertise, coupled with superior detection and classification capabilities that allow success even in essentially the most difficult missions.” A fact-sheet by L3Harris says the Israeli system is a dual-band system with GaN (Gallium Nitride) expertise.
ROKAF E-737 Peace Eye (64-700) PUS/RKPK April 2023 pic.twitter.com/7WnwANCrhV
— Andrei (@Andrei32989622) Could 3, 2023
Jin Kyu Lim, Head of Aerospace Division, Korean Air stated: “All through this collaboration, Korean Air will strengthen its capabilities in modification, integration and upkeep for the newest particular mission plane.” Korean Air may also lead “working and sustaining” the 4 packages sooner or later, “together with assembly any future manufacturing necessities.”
