[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Simultaneous South Korea-US Reconnaissance Aircraft Flight Over the Korean Peninsula

The improved Baekdu reconnaissance aircraft was developed by investing 300 billion KRW to import the Falcon 2000 model, an aircraft from Dassault Aviation in France, and modifying the fuselage at Korean Air.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] Recently, as North Korea's missile provocations continued, South Korean and U.S. surveillance reconnaissance aircraft simultaneously took off and flew over the Seoul metropolitan area. It is analyzed that South Korea and the U.S. are simultaneously and intensively monitoring North Korea's provocation signals.

According to the civilian aviation tracking site 'Aircraft Spot' on the 1st, the U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft EP-3E flew over the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions the previous day. Although the exact time was not disclosed, it appears to have conducted a flight mission on the 31st based on Coordinated Universal Time. On the same day, South Korea's Baekdu reconnaissance aircraft was also reported to have monitored the front-line area, leading to speculation that it was preparing for a sudden provocation by North Korea.

The EP-3E is an aircraft responsible for collecting signals intelligence (SIGINT) and reconnaissance. It captures and analyzes all signals from the ground and air. It can detect electronic signals emitted before and after missile launches as well as electromagnetic radiation signals during nuclear tests. The EP-3E reportedly also flew over the Seoul metropolitan area on the 29th of last month when North Korea fired its 'super-large multiple rocket launcher.'

South Korea's Baekdu reconnaissance aircraft could only capture North Korea's electronic intelligence (Elint) and communications intelligence (Comint). Electronic and communications intelligence involves eavesdropping or wiretapping to learn about equipment operations such as radar activation and the content of wired and wireless communications.

However, in 2016, an instrumentation intelligence (Fisint) function was added, developed by domestic defense companies LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Thales. This was to compensate for the signal collection information that the high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft Global Hawk does not possess. The instrumentation intelligence function detects signal exchanges between electronic devices even when there is no movement at North Korean military communications, nuclear facilities, or missile bases. When North Korean leadership presses the button to operate nuclear weapons or missiles, the signals are detected, allowing real-time understanding via computer of what commands are being sent to missile launchers. The main signal detection range of the Baekdu reconnaissance aircraft is 370 km, which includes the Dongchang-ri missile base and the Yongbyon nuclear facility based on Pyongyang.

The Baekdu reconnaissance aircraft was acquired by investing 300 billion KRW, bringing in the Falcon 2000 model aircraft from the French company Dassault, and modifying the fuselage at Korean Air. Its endurance time was also increased. The endurance time was extended to over 6 hours, and the operating altitude was raised to 40,000 feet (approximately 12 km). This is similar to the normal operating altitude (15 km) of the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft possessed by the U.S. Forces Korea, thus staying out of the range of North Korea's surface-to-air missiles.