South Korean defense companies are diversifying their portfolio of conventional weaponry into high-tech and lucrative systems like military satellites and fighter jet radars, motivated by the country’s ambitious indigenous fighter program.

The state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Hanwha Systems will release this month their first prototype of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to be mounted onto the KF-X jet, the country`s indigenous fighter jet, according to a defense industry source on Thursday.

AESA, a type of phased array radar whose transmitter and receiver functions are composed of numerous small transmit/receive modules, can identify multiple enemy fighter jets simultaneously and is a key component to boost air-combat capabilities in KF-X jets. The ADD aims to fully develop the advanced radar system by 2021, which will affect the timeline for completing the KF-X program currently set for 2025.

Another military procurement market that receives attention is spy satellites worth up to 1 trillion won ($892 million) at an initial phase. The Ministry of Defense is due to determine a project this month to deploy reconnaissance satellites weighing 800 kilograms into low-earth orbit to watch North Korean soldiers around the clock.

Potential bidders include Korea Aerospace Industries and Satrec Initiative that can build a satellite system independently.

The government plans to develop four satellites equipped with advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and another one with electric-optical components to deploy them from 2021 on a gradual basis. The image resolution is 0.3 to 0.5 meter per pixel high enough to distinguish between a passenger car and a truck on the ground.

LIG Nex1, another Korean defense company, is developing an integrated sonar unit to be installed on Aegis destroyers of the Korean Navy.

By Kim Jung-hwan

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