The Korean Agency for Defence Development has succeeded in developing an ELINT (electronic intelligence) and image intelligence collection systems, which are installed on F-16s and are able to collect ELINT and image intelligence with domestic technology, and will make it military strength in stages.

On December 30, the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) said the ELINT collection system ADD developed would be deployed in the military beginning that day, and the image intelligence collection system, completing development that month, would be installed next year, revealing the development completion of those technologies.

To improve ability to collect reconnaissance intelligence, DAPA invested 79.6 billion won from 2007 to this year, promoting the project of a “tactical reconnaissance intelligence collection system” for which the ELINT and image intelligence collection system are developed with domestic technology. Of these, the ELINT collection system, starting deployment that day, can collect and analyse electronic intelligence against enemy’s electronic threats in real-time.

In addition, the image intelligence collection system to be deployed next year is for collecting and analysing night-day target images and assessing battle damage during the war.

Brigadier General Lee Seong-yong, the head of the command and reconnaissance programme department of DAPA, showed his expectation that these systems enable the military to rapidly collect intelligence and support air operations effectively.