[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Domestic Development Decision for Electronic Warfare Equipment... Is It Possible?

US Navy Electronic Warfare Aircraft Growler

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Our military has decided to independently develop an electronic warfare aircraft. Electronic warfare aircraft can disrupt radio waves to neutralize enemy air defense radars, making them an effective strategic weapon in the early stages of conflict. The military plans to develop the electronic warfare aircraft based on the EA-18G Growler class operated by the U.S. Navy. However, some argue that considering the development timeline and performance, it would be better to import the aircraft from abroad.

According to military officials on the 27th, the military decided last year to proceed with the electronic warfare aircraft development as a domestic research and development project through preliminary research. The military plans to sign a contract by the end of 2022 and complete development and production over eight years from 2023 to 2031. The total project cost is 2.5 trillion won.

However, there are already internal disputes within the military regarding the type of electronic warfare aircraft. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) prefers a transport-type aircraft (C-130) for easier system integration, while the Air Force is known to prefer a business jet aircraft, which has advantages in speed and altitude.

Some point out that the method ADD intends to develop is the Stand Off Jamming (remote support jamming) type, where electronic warfare aircraft disrupt enemy air defense networks from a long distance, raising doubts about its effectiveness in the mountainous terrain of the Korean Peninsula. Considering the project cost exceeding 2 trillion won, they argue that the aircraft should be purchased overseas. If electronic warfare aircraft are imported, the current total budget of 2 trillion won could procure more than 10 units, supporting more than five attack squadrons.

The Republic of Korea Air Force also reviewed Boeing's F-15SE Silent Eagle during the third phase of the next-generation fighter (FX) project and requested export approval for the U.S. Navy's Growler electronic warfare aircraft. At that time, there were rumors inside and outside the military that if the FX phase 3 budget were reduced, 12 Growlers could be procured.

In June 2016, the U.S. Pacific Fleet deployed two aircraft carriers for a show of force related to the South China Sea dispute and simultaneously stationed four electronic warfare attack aircraft in the Philippines. According to the U.S. military magazine Stars and Stripes, the Seventh Fleet under the Pacific Fleet, responsible for the South China Sea, temporarily deployed a detachment (the 138th Expeditionary Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron) composed of four E/A-18G Growler electronic warfare attack aircraft and 120 support personnel at Clark Air Base in the Philippines.

Japan is also accelerating the introduction of the Growler. The Growler was already included in Japan's 2019-2023 Mid-Term Defense Program. Currently, Japan possesses measurement and training aircraft that collect radio wave information but does not have attack aircraft. Japan's introduction of dedicated electronic warfare attack aircraft is partly a response to China establishing the Strategic Support Force responsible for electronic warfare and focusing on deploying electronic attack aircraft. The Japanese government, which adopts the principle of exclusive defense (defense only when attacked), relies on the U.S. for attacks on enemy bases. The Royal Australian Air Force has also procured 12 units, one of which was lost in an accident during the 2018 Red Flag exercise.

Recently, the U.S. Navy succeeded in remotely controlling two EA-18G Growlers from other aircraft. At the end of last year, at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland, the U.S. Navy remotely controlled two EA-18G Growlers from other aircraft and completed 21 training missions. Although backup pilots were onboard the two Growlers for safety, the control was conducted remotely from separate nearby aircraft.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.