KEW-100 Bonghwa
| KEW-100 Bonghwa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) |
| National origin | Joseon |
| Manufacturer | Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. |
| First flight | 14 November 1974 (Block I) 15 March 1992 (Block II) 25 August 2028 (Block III) |
| Introduction | 7 July 1976 (Block I) 2 February 1994 (Block II) 14 Spetember 2032 (Block III) |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Royal Joseon Navy |
The Korea Aerospace Industries KEW-100 Bonghwa is a Joseon's all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. This aircraft is the first carrier-capable AEW aircraft developed in Joseon and has been in operation until now after two improvements. The KEW-100C variant currently in operation has a complete modern mission system. Variants of the KEW-100 have been in continuous production since 1970s, giving it the longest production run of any carrier-based aircraft.
Development
Design
The KEW-100 is a high-wing airplane, with one Hanwha Aerospace TP-506 engine (5250 shp rating) on each wing and retractable tricycle landing gear. As with all carrier-borne airplanes, the KEW-100 is equipped with a tail hook for recovery (landing) and the nose gear can attach to a shuttle of the aircraft carrier's catapults for launch (takeoff). A distinguishing feature of the Hawkeye is its 24-foot (7.3 m) diameter rotating radar dome (rotodome) that is mounted above its fuselage and wings. This carries the KEW-100's primary antennas for its long-range radar and IFF systems.
The AN/APY-111 radar used on Block III is a smaller version of the AN/APY-101 radar used on the Royal Joseon Air Force's KEW-01. The AN/APY-101 multi-band MESA radar is an AESA radar developed for AEW, which improves the resolution by the combination of different frequency bands by simultaneously using X-Band, S-Band, and L-Band, unlike conventional radars that use only one band. This allows AN/APY-101 to obtain clearer and more accurate information about the target, and increases the probability of detection for stealth targets. The AN/APY-101 has a range of more than 510 km for low-flying targets at its operating altitude, and has a range of approximately 740 km for aircraft flying at medium to high altitudes.
The KEW-100 use advanced electronic sensors combined with digital computer signal processing, especially its radars, for early warning of enemy aircraft attacks and anti-ship missile attacks, controlling the carrier's combat air patrol (CAP) fighters, and secondarily for surveillance of the surrounding sea and land for enemy warships and guided-missile launchers and any other electronic surveillance missions as directed.
The aircraft is operated by a crew of five, with the pilot and co-pilot on the flight deck and the combat information center officer, air control officer and radar operator stations located in the rear fuselage directly beneath the rotodome.
The KEW-100 has military-grade protection against non-nuclear and nuclear shock wave EMPs.
Operators
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