[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Trying Out the Peace Eye Device Personally

Report on Gimhae Air Force Airborne Tactical Reconnaissance Command
Air Force Peace Eye, Air Surveillance with Ground Radar
Equipped with Shark Fin Antenna

At 3:17 a.m. on November 29, 2017, taking advantage of the quiet dawn, North Korea launched a salvo of ballistic missiles into the East Sea. The first to detect the missiles was the Air Force's Peace-Eye (E737 Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft). Our military immediately conducted a counterattack. The Army missile units, Navy Aegis ships, and Air Force KF-16s each fired one missile: the 'Haeseong-2' (anti-ship), 'Hyunmoo-2' (surface-to-surface), and 'SPICE-2000' (air-to-ground), respectively.

To understand the mission of the Peace-Eye, known as the 'Airborne Air Defense Control Center,' I recently visited the Air Force Airborne Mobile Reconnaissance Command's 51st Squadron (9th Air Control Flight Squadron) located in Gimhae. The first thing that caught my eye was the commercial aircraft taking off and landing at Gimhae Airport. Both Air Force and commercial aircraft use the same runway at Gimhae Airport. This is why announcements prohibiting photography for passengers are made when commercial flights take off or land at Gimhae Airport.

Entering the military aircraft parking area, three aerial refueling tankers stood proudly beyond the fence. Then, two Peace-Eye aircraft also came into view. The markings 'ROKAF 328' and 'Republic of Korea Air Force' on the Peace-Eye aircraft indicated their military status. The Air Force began operational deployment starting with the first Peace-Eye in 2011 and had all four aircraft operational by the following year.

Currently, flight track information of airborne objects detected by ground radars scattered nationwide is integrated at the Air Force Central Air Defense Control Center (MCRC) in Osan, which controls air defense operations. When the Peace-Eye is deployed, it can conduct airborne surveillance alongside ground radars. The Peace-Eye and MCRC share information to command air defense operations. The radar onboard collects flight track data directly from the air, and the collected information is shared directly with Army, Navy, and Air Force operational units, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Combined Forces Command. It can also transmit information directly to fighter jets without passing through ground command and control systems, enabling direct control.

On the underside of the Peace-Eye aircraft, about ten shark fin-shaped antennas were visible. They were about 40 cm in size, larger than the shark fin antennas typically mounted on passenger cars. Two auxiliary wings were added to the rear of the aircraft, resembling shark fins. The Peace-Eye is equipped with an 8-meter-long, approximately 3-meter-high MESA (Multi-Function Electronically Scanned Array) radar mounted on the upper fuselage. This radar can simultaneously detect about 1,000 targets in the air and sea across the Korean Peninsula and provides 360-degree all-around surveillance. Unlike mechanical radars, this radar can scan specific target areas within 10 seconds, with a detection range of 370 to 500 km. Lieutenant Colonel Park Igyeom of the Air Force said, “Due to the weight of the MESA radar, the Peace-Eye can sway while flying, and the auxiliary wings help maintain balance.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Our military is reported to have deployed Aegis destroyers in the West Sea and assigned missions to the airborne early warning aircraft "Peace Eye."

The interior of the Peace-Eye resembles a commercial aircraft, but there were no passenger seats. Instead, about ten computers were arranged along both sides of the aisle facing the walls. There were no overhead bins for passenger luggage like on commercial planes. Each computer had a mission-specific seat label such as weapons control, joint surveillance, and electronic support. The keyboards were fixed to the desks to prepare for flight conditions. The MESA radar mounted on top of the Peace-Eye tilts forward, causing the aircraft to fly with its upper body raised. Consequently, the crew's posture in the air inevitably tilts sideways. The seats must be tilted to match the aircraft's angle to maintain a level posture.

The airborne surveillance personnel typically have experience at the MCRC. After serving at the MCRC, they must complete about a year of additional training before boarding the Peace-Eye. Their primary mission is to detect unidentified objects in addition to tracking airborne objects over the Korean Peninsula. Besides North Korea's ballistic missiles, they can also detect North Korea's 'AN-2' (multi-purpose transport aircraft). Although North Korea's approximately 300 AN-2s were difficult to detect on radar when flying at low altitudes, the introduction of the Peace-Eye has made it possible to observe them clearly from the air.

The seats for airborne surveillance personnel were divided according to their assigned zones, such as the eastern Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and western DMZ. Duties were assigned based on proficiency, with more experienced personnel monitoring critical surveillance areas.

The Peace-Eye can fly for more than seven hours depending on the mission, so relief personnel also board the aircraft. Pilots, co-pilots, and airborne surveillance personnel are added. There were eight spare seats at the rear of the aircraft. These seats, designed for relief personnel to rest, were business-class seats similar to those on commercial aircraft. However, the windows could not be seen through because they were covered with shielding wire mesh to block electromagnetic waves. Opening the door at the very rear of the aircraft revealed a space filled with computer servers. Lieutenant Colonel Park said, “Most of the Peace-Eye's interior consists of electronic equipment, so the temperature and humidity are low. Because flights are conducted two to three times a week in this environment, regular flight adaptation training is necessary.”