KAI selected to supply new reconnaissance aircraft to the Korean Air Force

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has selected Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) as the winner of a $745.6 million contract to supply four Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000LXS business jets converted into Baekdu-class intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance (ISR) aircraft.

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As reported in KAI’s press release, KAI will be responsible for program management, ground support logistics ecosystem and mission equipment integration, which will be developed by Korean company LIG Nex1, as well as for the purchase of the aircraft.

The selection of the Falcon 2000LXS (the same model was chosen by the French Navy as a maritime surveillance aircraft) as a platform was due in part to its ability to take off and land on shorter runways than similar aircraft, allowing it to be deployed at a greater number of airports.To that end, KAI signed a memorandum of understanding for technical support and cooperation with Dassault at the ‘Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2021 (ADEX) held recently.

A KAI official said, «The Baekdu system performance improvement project is a core project for the development of the national aerospace industry, such as strengthening military power, as well as technology accumulation and job creation.»

The new Baekdu program (the first covered the conversion of 2 Falcon 2000s into ISR platforms) seeks to replace 4 older RC800 type reconnaissance aircraft, based on modified Hawker 800XP aircraft, which have been operating since the 1990s.

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The initiative responds to the Korean need to reduce its dependence on U.S.-supplied intelligence by strengthening its own capabilities.

Currently, South Korea’s airborne ISR capabilities are based on the 4 Boeing 737 AEW & C, twin-engine airborne early warning and control aircraft, the 4 RC800s and the first 2 Falcon 2000s converted to Baekdu configuration between 2011 and 2018.

Competing against KAI in this program was South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air, which had announced in July that it would buy 4 Falcon 2000S business jets from Dassault Aviation, to be modified into ISR platforms.