South Korea’s DAPA held a gathering with LIG Nex1, which was awarded the contract in December 2025, to start out planning the actions in the direction of a deliberate fielding in 2034.
Reviews from South Korea on Jan. 20, 2026, mentioned its Protection Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) lastly launched the $1.29 billion Block-I airborne digital warfare and jamming platform. The event comes as DAPA held a gathering with one of many main home protection firms, LIG Nex1, which was awarded a $1.1 billion contract in December 2025.
This system has been shifting since September 2025, with Korean Air-LIG Nex1 and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)-Hanwha Programs submitting their ideas, based mostly on the Bombardier World 6500 and Gulfstream G550 provider plane, respectively. The company plans to area the brand new platform by 2034 after which launch a extra superior Block-II variant, constructing upon the expertise gained from the Block-I venture.
LIG Nex1 revealed the award of the contract on Dec. 24, when it was listed within the firm’s filings on the Korean inventory market. The submitting talked about the contract, price W1.6 trillion ($1.1 billion) was awarded by DAPA and covers growth and methods integration for the brand new digital warfare (EW) plane.
Korean studies
Yonhap, The Korea Instances and The Korea Herald, quoting DAPA officers and a press release from the company, mentioned: “Korea has launched a 1.9 trillion-won ($1.29 billion) venture to develop particular plane able to jamming intensive air protection networks within the occasion of digital warfare, the state arms procurement company mentioned Tuesday.”
“DAPA held a gathering to debate the event plan of the system, named Block-I, with main protection agency LIG Nex1,” continued the studies. “Beneath the venture, DAPA seeks to develop massive plane able to disabling and disturbing an opponent’s air protection community and digital command methods via jamming assaults. If developed, the company goals to deploy it in 2034.”
The long run plane is anticipated to be a “sport changer” in “future digital warfare,” enhancing the survivability and interoperability of aerial property throughout joint operations. DAPA added that the event of a extra superior Block-II system will observe the fielding of the preliminary Block-I variant.
South Korea launched a $1.29 billion program to develop a devoted digital warfare plane designed to jam enemy air protection & command networks by 2034.the venture,led by DAPA with LIG Nex1, goals to enhance survivability, interoperability of South Korean and allied airspace. pic.twitter.com/7sjpYvfZ0L
— Valhalla (@ELMObrokenWings) January 22, 2026
South Korean EW and SOJ plane
In September 2025, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) revealed its idea of an airborne digital warfare and standoff jamming platform based mostly on the Bombardier World 6500 plane, in response to the DAPA’s Block-I Digital Warfare System Growth Challenge. KAI and its trade associate Hanwha Programs would develop the system with a full conformal array, working throughout a good portion of the plane’s size.
Korean Air and LIG Nex1 additionally introduced their partnership on Sep. 21, 2025, and had been anticipated to formally submit their proposal in the direction of the tip of that month. The plane has a conformal array too, together with a big ventral sensor, just like the French Archange.
There are conflicting studies on the selection of the provider plane for the Korean Air-LIG Nex1 idea. FlightGlobal reported that Korean Air confirmed the plane can be based mostly on the World 6500, whereas Janes studies it will likely be based mostly on the Gulfstream G550.
Smaller AEW&C platform known as Conformal AEW (CAEW) based mostly on biz jet platform has develop into a pattern proper now. pic.twitter.com/l38nDgjokN
— Keane Rara (@GardaAramis) September 28, 2025
In every crew, whereas Hanwha and LIG Nex1 would develop the EW and Stand-Off Jamming (SOJ) {hardware}, mission methods and software program, KAI and Korean Air can be liable for the airframe modification, methods integration, flight testing and certification. Reviews final 12 months mentioned the federal government deliberate an outlay of KRW 1.775 trillion ($1.3 billion) to induct 4 plane by 2034, and the most recent quoted determine of $1.29 billion is hardly off the mark from that quantity.
Chosun already reported on Sep. 22 that the Korean Air and LIG Nex1 proposal “scored greater” within the bid analysis course of by DAPA, however an “objection course of” nonetheless remained earlier than the ultimate contractor’s choice. DAPA on the time was “evaluating every firm’s digital warfare tools expertise and airframe integration functionality, amongst different components,” Chosun added.
Significance of indigenous EW expertise
The brand new platform has not but been listed on LIG Nex1’s web site, with the airborne EW methods part nonetheless itemizing solely the present platform used on this position by the Republic of Korea Air Power (RoKAF), based mostly on the Dassault Falcon 2000. The corporate says the airborne EW system is supposed for “the gathering of communication intelligence/digital intelligence/instrumentation indicators.”
The Block-I program advanced 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 Maritime Patrol Plane.
South Korea additionally leads in electronics manufacturing and has each semiconductor design and fabrication services, whereas practically all international locations solely design chips however manufacture them via third events in Taiwan and South Korea. This permits Seoul extra flexibility in experimenting with and producing processors required for the heavy computing necessities of sensor fusion methods, which mix electromagnetic sensing, communication, tactical information hyperlinks and satellite tv for pc information right into a cohesive image.
