Seoul has approved a 1.9 trillion won (about $1.29 billion) effort to field a purpose-built electronic warfare aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force by the mid-2030s, marking a major upgrade to its ability to suppress enemy air defences and manage the electromagnetic spectrum. DAPA described the Electronic Warfare Aircraft (Block-I) project as a critical response to the growing sophistication of regional radar and communications threats, positioning South Korea among a small group of nations operating large, dedicated EW platforms.
The aircraft is intended to perform wide-area, stand-off electronic attack while also serving as a peacetime intelligence-gathering asset, cataloguing emissions and characterising adversary networks. Expected to be based on a long-range business jet with enhanced power, cooling and mission-system capacity, the programme places LIG Nex1 in charge of electronic warfare payloads and Korean Air in a key integration role. With a Block-II upgrade planned after initial fielding, the initiative reflects both a long-term operational requirement and a strategic investment in domestic electronic-warfare capabilities.
