Testing of the KF-21 Boramae fighter radar continues in South Africa, on a modified Boeing 737 operating out of Wonderboom National Airport.
The Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar is among the most challenging components of the indigenous KF-21 fighter jet programme. South Korea originally sought to acquire AESA radar technology from the United States, but export restrictions precluded this, and so it decided to develop its own radar for itself. The KF-21 AESA radar programme marks South Korea’s first AESA radar development efforts, and may be scaled for other future applications.
The radar is being developed under the auspices of the South Korean Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), with the South Korean Agency of Defence Development (ADD) and Hanwha Systems Co (HSC) taking the lead. Paramount Aerospace Systems was contracted as a subcontractor by HSC and Italian aerospace company Leonardo to test the radar.
An AESA radar electronically steers the radar beam by using hundreds or thousands of transmit/receive modules on the antenna. Advantages over traditional radars include increased detection range (thanks to beam focussing and steering), improved resolution (particularly against stealthy targets), enhancing tracking capability (including of multiple targets), lower probability of interception and jamming (due to electronic agility and redundancy), and longer service life due to fewer moving parts.
In December 2021, airborne tests of the KF-21’s AESA radar on modified Boeing 737 took place in South Africa, attended by developers from the ADD and HSC. The following year, airborne tests took place in South Korea as well after the modified Boeing 737 arrived in South Korea at the beginning of March, and had the radar fitted onto a new nose section. The modified Boeing 737 (ZS-TFJ, msn 26541) subsequently flew a number of sorties over Korean airspaces before heading to South Africa for further testing.
ZS-TFJ flew for Ceskoslovenske Aerolinie and Czech Airlines between 1992 and 2013 as OK-XGC. It was then transferred to Africa Aircraft Maintenance and registered as ZS-TFJ in 2015. In July 2020 the aircraft was taken over by Paramount Aerospace Systems, when it was seen with AESA testing markings (but without the modified nose at that stage).
In 2023 DAPA said the modified Boeing 737 from November 2022 to February 2023 carried out 18 radar test flights, with flight tracking data showing multiple flights from Wonderboom.
ZS-TFJ has been seen at Wonderboom again this year just in the last week carried out multiple flights in the Pretoria region lasting about three hours at a time, including on 6 and 8 August.
Radar testing is also being carried out on board the KF-21, which performed its maiden flight on 19 July 2022. Radar evaluation flights on the KF-21 are expected to take place from March 2023 to February 2026, evaluating things like maximum detection range in air-to-air mode, tracking distance, and tracking accuracy.
South Korea plans to start mass producing the KF-21 by mid-2026. The Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) has a requirement for a large number of KF-21 aircraft to replace its ageing fleets of F-4E Phantom and F-5E Tiger II fighter aircraft, which were inducted from the mid-1970s.
Paramount expertise
Paramount offers a wide variety of aviation services, and through Paramount Aerospace Systems the company can provide flight testing, aircraft modification and refurbishment, upgrades, maintenance, mission equipment development and installation. The company does installation work globally for a wide range of customers, with one being the conversion of two Embraer Lineage 1000 business jets into maritime patrol aircraft.
Paramount Aerospace can establish an air force through the acquisition and supply of aircraft, spares and maintenance and the training of transport, helicopter and fighter pilots. It also has a ground school that trains ground crew and technicians able to maintain aircraft. The company offers Mirage F1 upgrades – it refurbished two F1 squadrons for Gabon and Republic of Congo after acquiring the ex-SAAF F1 fleet – but can source and supply various aircraft types.
It has also assisted the US-based Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) make its legacy F1s airworthy again. Maintenance and training are growing in importance for Paramount Aerospace Systems, which in April 2018 received a contract from US aviation service provider Draken International for the overhaul of and engineering support for 22 ex-Spanish Air Force Mirage F1 jets, which are offered to the US Air Force and allied nation customers for adversary training. Paramount acquired four ex-French F1Bs for pilot and maintenance technician training.
