Korea General RoK Air Force News & Developments

I looked up the ROKAF igloos after watching the FPV raid on a Russian air base . HAS from the USAF are also in the mix. But the Russian Air Force's losses can't be attributed solely to the lack of these hardened shelters. Who would have thought that a truck-mounted FPV could attack a strategic bomber airbase far from the front lines? The base was even positioned with the expectation that it would be attacked by enemy ICBMs.

A ceremony was held to mark the 10,000th accident-free flight hour for KAI's fleet of fixed-wing aircraft. The KF-21 (approximately 1,350 hours), T-50 series (approximately 6,350 hours), KT-1 series (approximately 1,500 hours), and KC-100 (approximately 830 hours) combined to total 10,000 hours.

A model of the long-range AA: LRAAM currently under development by LIG Nex1 and a short-range AA missile seeker were unveiled at the Defense Quality Symposium 2025 hosted by DTaQ.

KAI has actively adopted Unreal Engine for its simulators in collaboration with Unreal Engine. This interview discusses how Unreal Engine is collaborating with KAI through its technological capabilities and what kind of future it envisions for the simulation industry.

Korean Air Co. said Thursday it has partnered with LIG Nex1 Co. to compete for a 1.78 trillion-won (US$1.27 billion) government project to develop an electronic warfare aircraft for the Air Force.

The two companies plan to submit their final proposal for the project in early September. If chosen as the main contractors, Korean Air will handle the integration and modification of the aircraft, while LIG Nex1 will develop and install the electronic warfare systems.

The project will involve converting a mid-sized commercial jet into a special mission aircraft. Once completed, the aircraft will be able to intercept and analyze enemy radar and communications signals, and jam them during wartime to disable air defenses and disrupt command networks.

Electronic warfare aircraft are considered essential in modern battlefields because they can paralyze enemy radars, communications and other electronic equipment. Instead of building a new plane, the Air Force decided to modify an existing commercial aircraft, which is faster and more efficient.

LIG Nex1 has already developed advanced electronic warfare systems for the KF-21 fighter jet, naval ships, submarines and reconnaissance aircraft. Korean Air has long experience in heavy aircraft maintenance, upgrades of military planes and the development of drones.

"With more than 50 years of accumulated technology and infrastructure, Korean Air will play a leading role in strengthening our military's advanced capabilities and help raise the global standing of Korea's defense industry," a Korean Air official said.


The Hanwha KAI Consortium is taking on this challenge.


Both KAI and Korean Air are modifying the same aircraft, but there are some differences in the methods and details of the modifications. The biggest difference is the placement of the conformal antenna, which is the core component of electronic warfare aircraft. Both companies are installing two large conformal antennas on the sides of the fuselage, but KAI is considering adding another conformal antenna to the underside of the fuselage.

Two consortiums will submit proposals in September, and the consortium that will carry out the project will be selected in October. After the contract is signed, the project will begin.

More specific aircraft configurations between the two consortiums participating in the SOJ project have been revealed.

KAI-Hanwha Systems

LIG Nex1-Korean Air

The Electronic Warfare Aircraft Block-I program aims to acquire two aircraft through system development from 2025 to 2034. Subsequently, the Block-II program will secure an additional two performance-enhanced electronic warfare aircraft. The total program budget is approximately 1.9206 trillion won, with the system development project budget amounting to 1.7775 trillion won.

The photo shows the G550 CAEW, but the new G6500-based model should not differ significantly.


The ROKAF's second AEW&C aircraft program has selected the G6500-based model from the L3Harris, IAI, KAL consortium. Many wanted to order the E-7 currently in operation, but the program's budget could not afford the E-7's skyrocketing price. (Boeing did not bid on the program after reviewing the acquisition budget.)

According to defense industry sources, the evaluation of the proposals from the two companies found that while the performance of the aircraft models was equal, L3Harris was ahead of Saab in terms of price, cooperation with domestic companies, and operational maintenance.

A military source stated, "There was no major difference in the evaluation of the aircraft model performance proposed by both companies, but the US L3Harris was superior in the areas of operational suitability, contribution to the domestic defense industry, and operation/maintenance costs, while Sweden's Saab received high marks in the areas of contract conditions and acquisition cost." The source concluded, "As a result of combining all evaluation criteria, L3Harris received a higher score and was selected."

L3Harris's early warning aircraft utilizes a Canadian Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft equipped with an Israeli radar. A physical, completed unit does not yet exist. The Saab model is currently in operational use by foreign militaries, but it is reported to have a drawback in that it does not meet all the necessary detection angles required by our military.

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Who can be blamed for things turning out this way? If blame must be assigned, it lies with successive governments that failed to place orders well in advance. It is truly regrettable.

The Basic Trainer II, as the successor to the KT-1, is designed to achieve optimal training effectiveness for pilot development. It incorporates a LAD-based glass cockpit and integrates VR/XR/LVC technologies to support pilot training for the latest 4.5-generation and 5th-generation fighter aircraft. Additionally, it incorporates enhanced flight safety features to reduce accident risks, such as Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and Ground Collision Avoidance System (GCAS) capabilities, while also reflecting performance improvement requirements like pressurization system application and enhanced cooling capacity. It has an overall length of 10.6m, a wingspan of 10.2m, a height of 3.4m, and is powered by a turboprop engine with over 1,300 horsepower. Discussions were held regarding a Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) for the KT-1 prior to the Basic Trainer II project. However, considering the schedule comparable to a new development project (4 years for modification development, 4 years for mass production) and the excessive cost of approximately 1.1 trillion won based on 82 units, it is reported that the project is proceeding as a new development initiative. The Basic Trainer II project is estimated to cost approximately 1.25 trillion won for 85 units, with a 6-year system development phase and a 4-year mass production phase. Its airframe lifespan is also expected to be improved compared to the KT-1 MLU (10,000 flight hours or less), securing over 18,000 flight hours.

The engine will utilize the KTP-1400 currently under development.

ADD to Push for Production of Next-Generation Fighter Testbed"

(For reference. Germany's LOUT testbed is similar to the testbed being promoted by ADD.)

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) is moving forward with the production of a testbed to develop core stealth technology for a next-generation fighter jet. Although this testbed will not be equipped with an engine and will not perform actual flight, it will be built at full-scale to be fitted with stealth technology and a new-concept AESA radar for use in various tests. The ADD plans to commence development of this testbed over four years starting next year, in collaboration with the defense industry.

On October 29th, the ADD held the '2025 Future Defense Technology Research and Development Project Planning Study Presentation' at the Osong Convention Center. This event was organized to introduce key research areas required for the development of future next-generation weapon systems—rather than immediately applicable technologies—and to explain the schedule, budget, and research objectives to participating companies.

At this event, the ADD announced the launch of new projects aligned with the 2026 defense budget plan announced by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on August 29th. The Ministry of Economy and Finance's announcement included a provision to "invest 63.6 billion KRW to initiate the development of stealth bridge technology for a Korean next-generation stealth fighter," and the ADD plans to proceed with actual research projects to implement this.

So, what does 'Stealth Bridge Technology' mean? It refers to the core technologies required to realize a stealth fighter, particularly a wideband stealth fighter. Technologies included in the Stealth Bridge Technology encompass airframe structure technology for stealth fighter production, material technology that absorbs and reflects radar waves and infrared radiation for stealth, and future-generation AESA radar technology, among others.

To secure this technology, the ADD will pursue three research tasks over 48 months.

The first research task is 'Stealth Airframe Structure Design and Core Area Integration Verification Technology.' This includes technology for rapidly designing a stealth fighter that meets requirements and applying stealth functions to critical sections like the air intake, engine exhaust nozzle, and internal weapon bay.

The second research task is 'Aeronautical Multi-Functional Composite Materials and Low-Observable Sensor Technology.' This involves developing heat-resistant materials and special engine nozzle materials essential for stealth aircraft, and pursuing the development of a next-generation AESA radar. Notably, unlike existing fighter AESA radars that use a single frequency band, the next-generation AESA radar to be developed will feature wideband transmit/receive capabilities that use a broad range of frequencies freely, from low-frequency to high-frequency, along with low-observability (stealth) functions, and Electronic Support (ES) and Electronic Attack (EA) capabilities.

The final research task is 'Stealth Technology for Integrated Radar Cross-Section (RCS) Control.' This includes technology for manufacturing special canopies (glass) that do not reflect radar waves and technology for measuring the actual radar detection avoidance performance of the stealth aircraft.

Such technical research is typically the earliest stage of weapons development, often resulting only in laboratory-level outcomes, making it difficult to attach significant meaning to them. However, by establishing a 'full-scale testbed' this time, the ADD is expected to present a concrete blueprint for the 'Republic of Korea's Next-Generation Fighter.'