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World Defense & Security News - South Korea
 
 
South Korea eyes upgraded IFF system for ROKAF aircraft fleet
 
According to the local newspaper Yonhap, South Korea's defense authorities on Wednesday, May 24, approved a procurement project to improve the military's system to identify aircraft and determine whether it's an enemy or a friendly force.
     
The ROKAF fighter jets IFF will be upgraded at Mode 5
(Credit: ROKAF)
     
In a monthly meeting on pending arms-related projects, presided over by Defense Minister Han Min-koo, the military decided to launch the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) program next year via both the country's own R&D and overseas purchase, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

It is aimed at upgrading the Mode 4 in use by South Korea's armed forces to the Mode 5 with better anti-wiretap and anti-jamming functions, it said.

"The size of the program is estimated at 2.5 trillion won (US$2.2 billion)," Kim Si-cheol, DAPA's spokesman, told reporters later in the day.

"It is scheduled to run through 2026," with much of the planned procurement expected to be done between 2021-2023, he said.

The military has yet to decide details on procurement methods, which would depend on various types of the system, he said, adding either Foreign Military Sales (FMS), based on government-to-government contacts, or commercial deals can be an option in case of overseas purchases.

Once the capability improvement program is completed, the military will be able to carry out more effective combined operations with an improved identification system and survivability, added the agency.

(Source: Yonhap)