Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Defense Acquisition Program Administration announces radar developed through joint investment by the government and LIG Nex1

Radar provides real-time information to approaching planes,
guiding them to a safe landing in emergencies including bad weather

Precision Approach Radar (PAR) researched and developed with domestic technology has been deployed for military operations.

“The government and the local defense firm, LIG Nex1, jointly invested about 20 billion won in the PAR project in November 2012, and successfully developed the radar at the end of 2015. Late last month, the radar was deployed to the Air Force’s 1st Fighter Wing for the first time,” a Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) spokesperson announced on April 15th.

 
PAR is a radar designed to provide guidance to a plane for landing in the airport control area. Air traffic controllers provide a plane that approaches up to 20 nautical miles (37㎞) toward the runway with optimal information to enable a safe landing in real time, particularly when the plane has difficulties flying toward a runway due to bad weather or a malfunctioning instrument landing system.

Conventional radar cannot be used when it malfunctions, as it consists of a single radar beam transmitter. But the newly developed PAR can operate even when part of it malfunctions, as it consists of dozens of semiconductor transmitters.

With this domestically developed radar, maintenance has also become easier. Previously, there was considerable time and expense involved in obtaining components for repair radar because it was purchased overseas. But as this is a made-in-Korea product, components for repair can be sourced stably and promptly.

DAPA anticipates that domestic development will contribute to greatly increased use of the radar. “The PAR will be sequentially deployed to the main military airports by 2023. We anticipate that the radar can be exported to Latin America, Asia, Africa, eastern Europe and elsewhere, as the system is widely used by airports around the world,” a DAPA spokesperson commented.

By Byeong-No, Yun < trylover@dema.mil.kr>

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