Swedish aerospace company Saab has signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Aerospace Industries, signifying its commitment to advancing South Korea’s Airborne Early Warning & Control 2 program.
The Stockholm-based firm is currently among the vendors vying for a contract under Seoul’s ongoing competition on AEW&C. Korea’s defense acquisition agency issued the request for proposals in November.
Saab Business Area Surveillance Deputy Head Markus Borgljung formalized the MOU with KAI Senior Executive Vice President Chongho Yoon on the sidelines of KADEX 2024 in Gyeryong, south of Seoul, on Wednesday. Under the agreement, the two organizations intend to engage in industrial cooperation and technology transfer, particularly on GlobalEye, an AEW&C solution offering real-time information to warfighters, improving situational awareness and enabling early detection of threats.
“[The] MOU between Saab and KAI will increase critical radar technology competence and create domestic capability and self-sustainability to secure strategic independence for the Republic of Korea in the airborne surveillance segment,” said Borgljung.
Yoon echoed Borgljung’s statement, noting that the technology transfer improves KAI’s capability to support future research and development efforts related to special mission aircraft.
Saab supplies the airborne early warning solution to several nations. In April, it delivered the fourth of five GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft orders to the United Arab Emirates.