News Story: South Korea plans to purchase two more E-737 Peace Eye AEW&C aicraft

Peace Eye AEW&C (image: Wiki Commons)

South Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire two more Peace Eye airborne early warning and control aircraft down the road to boost its operational capabilities, a government source said Sunday. The move will increase the number of E-737s to six and give the ROKAF better situational awareness, greater ability to gather signal intelligence and better control over its aerial assets. The presence of the planes can act as a deterrence against the North which does not have similar platforms.

The E-737s can also give Seoul the ability to better regulate and protect the country's Korean Air Defense Identification Zone from all possible intruders as nations in Northeast Asia have started vying to more effectively manage their airspace to deal with security threats.

"In the past there had only been speculation about increasing the size of the AEW&C fleet, but it has now been 'confirmed' to be part of the long-term acquisition plan," the insider who declined to be identified said.

He did not give a timeline for the procurement but long-term plans usually take some 5 years to get the necessary budget needed to start the project.

"The inclusion of the procurement is a clear sign that the military wants the planes," he said.

Read the full story at Air Recognition