Article Posted on : - May 17, 2012

South Korea's 'Peace Eye'. A DAPA photo

SEOUL (BNS): To add more strength to its surveillance capability, the South Korean Air Force will soon deploy the third E-737 airborne early warning and control system (AEW&C) aircraft.

The third plane of the series, dubbed Peace Eye, was handed over to the country's Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) by US Defence major Boeing on May 16, the agency said.

The AWACS are being delivered to South Korea under a USD 1.6 billion contract awarded to Boeing in 2006 for four such aircraft.

The ROKAF received the first Peace Eye plane in September 2011 followed by another later that month.

The surveillance aircraft, based on Boeing's 737-700 platform, is equipped with a multi-role electronically scanned radar antenna and can detect and monitor up to 1,000 airborne or surface targets simultaneously within a 370-kilometer radius.

The aircraft can fly at a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet and conduct surveillance missions for over nine hours in all weather conditions.

The last Peace Eye is lasted to be delivered to South Korea later this year.

The country deployed the newly-acquired planes during the biennial 'Max Thunder' military exercise jointly conducted with the US Air Force.