S. Korea to Get 1st Early Warning Aircraft in July

The 737 AEW&C "Peace Eye" is seen during a test flight. Boeing is expected

to deliver four of the planes to the South Korean Air Force by July. (Boeing)

28 Feb 2011 by JUNG SUNG-KI

 SEOUL - Boeing will deliver the first of four planned 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to South Korea in July, procurement officials here said Feb. 28. "The first 737 AEW&C is now in development test and evaluation after its flight tests were completed successfully last June," an official at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said. "Type test and evaluation is scheduled to begin in March before a Korean operational utility demonstration slated for May." The first aircraft is now at a Boeing facility in Seattle, while the remainder is at a facility of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, about 430 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for system integration and modification works, the official said.