South Korea on Thursday took delivery of a third advanced surveillance plane from U.S. aircraft giant Boeing to strengthen the country's capacity to carry out aerial surveillance of its Communist neighbor North Korea.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement the Air Force would soon deploy its third E-737 Airborne Early Warning and Control plane dubbed "Peace Eye" in South Korea.
South Korea had concluded a $1.6-billion deal with Boeing in 2006 to buy four modified versions of the high-altitude surveillance aircraft. The first two planes were delivered to the Air Force last year.
The DAPA said under Boeing's supervision, Korea Aerospace Industries, a local aerospace company, manufactured the radar system and other electronic parts for the third E-737.
The E-737, equipped with a sophisticated radar system called a Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array, can detect and monitor up to 1,000 airborne or surface targets simultaneously, South Korea's official media reported.
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