Top Air Defense Weapon Controllers Warrant Officers Kim Sang-hoon and Cheon Ho-jeong

Top Air Weapons Controller Honored with 'Golden Eye' Award

At this year's Air Combat Intercept Control Competition, Warrant Officer Kim Sang-hoon (29, 6th Air Defense Non-Commissioned Officer Class) was honored with the title of 'Golden Eye,' the top Air Weapons Controller. (Photo by Republic of Korea Air Force)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] At this year's Air Combat Interception Control Competition, Warrant Officer Kim Sang-hoon (29, Air Defense Warrant Officer Class 6) and Warrant Officer Cheon Ho-jeong (36, Air Defense Warrant Officer Class 6) were honored as the best air weapons controllers, receiving the title of 'Golden Eye.'

Warrant Officer Kim Sang-hoon, assigned to the 1st Central Air Defense Control Center, and Warrant Officer Cheon Ho-jeong, serving on the E-737 Airborne Control Aircraft, were selected as the top air defense weapons controllers in the Ground Control (MCRC) and Airborne Control (E-737) categories, respectively, at the awards ceremony held on the 24th at the Air Defense Control Command for the 2022 Air Combat Interception Control Competition. They each received the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award.

They were bestowed the title 'Golden Eye,' which embodies the Air Defense Control Command’s slogan, "The sleepless eye guarding the sky." A total of 68 air control operation personnel, who passed preliminary rounds within their units, competed in the finals held over nine weeks from May this year, demonstrating their capabilities in air surveillance, identification, and interception control.

The interception control categories (ground control and airborne control) that select the Golden Eye combine academic evaluation scores assessing tactical understanding with skill evaluation scores, which measure controllers’ interception control abilities through actual deployment of air forces, to determine the final winners.

Warrant Officer Kim, who works as an air defense weapons controller, said, "Working at MCRC involves intense tension where I cannot take my eyes off the radar monitor for even a moment, but I will do my best to fulfill my mission with a sense of duty, as I am responsible for the start of air operations on the front line of airspace defense."

Air defense weapons controllers play a crucial role in air operations by comprehensively judging all necessary information for aerial operations, including aircraft altitude, speed, position, aircraft characteristics, armaments, and weather, and determining the flight paths of friendly aircraft performing high-speed maneuvers.

Warrant Officer Cheon performed air surveillance duties from the E-737 Airborne Control Aircraft, responding to the approach and entry of neighboring countries’ aircraft into the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) and participating in various operations and exercises, including 'Vigilant Storm.'

Warrant Officer Cheon said, "Although the mission continues day and night without pause, I will continue to strive to enhance my expertise with pride in protecting the Republic of Korea’s airspace 24/7, 365 days a year." In this year’s competition, the 1st Control Unit of the 7318th Unit was selected as the best unit and received the Minister of National Defense Award, while the 3rd Control Unit of the 7318th Unit was chosen as an excellent unit and awarded the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award.

The Air Force has been holding the Interception Control Competition annually since 1980 to improve the mission performance capabilities of air control operation personnel working on the front lines of airspace defense.

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