By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

South Korea will develop an indigenous mechanically scanned array (MESA) radar for aircraft with the help of Israel, officials at the Defense Acquisition Program (DAPA) said Thursday.

LIG Nex1, a leading defense firm in South Korea, will sign a deal with Israel's Elta Systems on the first phase of development of radars to equip TA-50 light-armed aircraft and FA-50 attack fighters, they said.

Both firms will hold a signing ceremony Sept. 3 in Seoul.

The TA-50 and FA-50 are modified versions of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer jet jointly built by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin of the United States.

The South Korean Air Force is buying 82 T-50 variants ― 50 T-50s, 22 TA-50s and 10 T-50Bs modified for aerobatics.

KAI signed a deal last December to develop and produce 60 FA-50s by 2012 to replace A-37 attack jets and F-4/5 fighters as backup to the Air Force's KF-16s and F-15Ks.

Under the envisaged agreement, LIG Nex1 will push for developing an indigenous MESA radar based on the Israeli firm's EL/M-2032 radar technologies, agency officials said.

The EL/M-2032 radar is credited with a look-up tracking range of 65 to 100 kilometers.

``The indigenous radar is expected to be built by the end of 2010 and subsequently enter service in 2011,'' a DAPA official said, asking to remain anonymous.

In the mid- to long-term, the domestically-built radar is likely to be installed on upgraded KF-16 fighters and further developed to an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to equip ``KF-X'' fighters with technology transfers from Elta, sources said.

Initiated in 2001, the KF-X program aims to develop more than 120 indigenous fighters by 2020 in partnership with foreign aircraft manufacturers.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr