Korean E-X & Helicopter Competitions Reaching Endgame?

E-737 Wedgetail(click to view full) South Korea appears to be leaning toward some clear choices for its Korean Helicopter Program (KHP) utility helicopter competition, and its E-X airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft acquisition program. The projects have a combined budget of 7 trillion Won (about $7 billion). A deal with Eurocopter has now been confirmed for 245 helicopters, and an Israeli-American consortium based on the General Dynamics Gulfstream G550 is believed to be the front runner in the E-X competiton – if technology transfer approval from the US government doesn’t delay South Korea’s E-X program again. The E-X Program: Another ITAR Interruption? G550 AWACS(click to view larger) South Korea’s much-delayed E-X project now aims to buy four Airborne early Warning And Control System (AWACS) aircraft beginning in 2008, with a budget of Won 1.8 trillion (about $1.8 billion). In the latest round of bidding, Boeing’s E-737 “Wedgetail” slated for service with Australia and Turkey was again pitted against the Israel Aircraft Industries-led consortium’s modified G-550 long range business jet. While all observers agree that the 737 Wedgetail is the more capable system, South Korea’s Defense Ministry seems determined to go with the lowest bidder as long as the planes meet […]