Hanwha Systems has officially delivered the first mass-produced aircraft-use Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar developed using domestic technology. This AESA radar will be installed on the KF-21, a Korean fighter jet. As the only Korean company to successfully complete the entire AESA radar development, mass production, and export phase, this milestone symbolizes the Republic of Korea's defense technology independence and global competitiveness.

The AESA radar rollout ceremony was held on the 5th at the Hanwha Systems Yongin Research Center, hosted by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and organized by Hanwha Systems. About 50 key officials from the Air Force, Agency for Defense Development, and the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality attended the event.

AESA radar is a core sensor of a fighter jet that can simultaneously detect and track air, ground, and sea targets, and provides a wider detection range and faster response speed than existing mechanical radars.

Equipped with the ability to engage multiple targets, this technology is a critical factor in determining survivability and victory or defeat in modern air combat.

After the U.S. rejected the technology transfer in 2015, Hanwha Systems began developing an AESA radar in collaboration with the Agency for Defense Development, and successfully delivered the first prototype in 2020.

In May 2024, the company achieved its first export result by signing a contract with European defense company Leonardo to supply an antenna for an AESA radar for light attack aircraft.

The antenna testing facility at the Yongin Research Institute, where this launch ceremony was held, is a state-of-the-art infrastructure for mass production of AESA radars, and is equipped with a near-field test system capable of testing up to four airborne radars simultaneously.

The ability to precisely measure approximately 1,000 transmission and reception channels has laid the foundation for high-quality mass production.

In addition to the AESA radar, Hanwha Systems is developing the KF-21's core avionics equipment, including the infrared search and track (IRST), electro-optical target acquisition and tracking (EO TGP), mission computer (MC), multi-function display (MFD), and voice control communication system (ACCS), using domestic technology, thereby increasing the rate of domestic production of the fighter jet.

Park Hyuk, head of the DE division, said, “Hanwha Systems is the only company in Korea that has succeeded in the development of AESA radar domestically, stable mass production, and export,” and added, “We will further accelerate our conquest of the global market with AESA radars that can be applied to various platforms.”
/> Defense Acquisition Program Administration Director Jeong Gyu-heon highly praised the rollout of the first mass-produced AESA radar, saying, “The government will also actively support the development of a cutting-edge military and a strong defense industry, starting with the KF-21.”