L3Harris Secures South Korea Airborne Early Warning Contract

SEOUL—South Korea has selected L3Harris to supply additional airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft under its E-X Phase 2, a KRW3.1 trillion ($2.2 billion) program running through 2032.

L3Harris offered the “Phoenix” AEW aircraft, which pairs Israel’s Elta EL/W-2085 radar with a Bombardier Global 6500 business jet. The deal marks the first export of the type and the first integration of a conformal radar system onto the Global 6500. A green aircraft will be delivered to L3Harris for system-level integration and flight certification.

The EL/W-2085 has previously been mounted on Gulfstream G550s operated by Israel, Italy and Singapore.

The Republic of Korea Air Force currently operates four Boeing 737 “Peace Eye” AEW aircraft, which cover only part of the nation’s air defense identification zone. Seoul has sought additional assets to extend coverage over the Korean peninsula and surrounding airspace, particularly against long-range threats from North Korea and neighboring countries.

Rivals included Saab’s GlobalEye, also built on the Global 6500 and equipped with the Erieye ER radar, as well as Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail. Aviation Week understands only Saab and L3Harris were in the fourth and final stage of the bidding process.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Phoenix and GlobalEye offered comparable radar performance, but L3Harris scored higher on operational suitability, life cycle costs and industrial participation. Saab’s offer was stronger in acquisition price and contract terms, but L3Harris achieved a higher overall evaluation score. DAPA did not disclose detailed criteria or scoring margins.

L3Harris has pledged extensive local participation, including system integration at Korean Air Aerospace Division facilities and domestic production of certain radar components.

DAPA said it will finalize a contract with L3Harris and convene a program kickoff meeting by November.