'Tainted Projects' Included in Electronic Warfare Aircraft Proposal... How Can It Overcome the Mountain of 'Secret Leaks'?

▲ Conceptual diagram of LIG D&A's electronic warfare aircraft

The LIG D&A defense corruption scandal entered a new phase yesterday, October 26, during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee. LIG D&A is accused of illegally winning six defense contracts by offering hundreds of millions of won in bribes to Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) officials, and the Suwon District Public Prosecution Office assesses that LIG D&A secured the 1.7-trillion-won electronic warfare aircraft system development project based on these tainted contracts. While LIG D&A has downplayed the prosecution's findings, decisive evidence supporting the prosecution's view emerged during the defense committee's audit.

An analysis by the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seong-hoe of LIG D&A's electronic warfare aircraft system development proposal revealed that four projects suspected of being won illegally were included in the proposal. In other words, technologies from defense projects suspected of illicit acquisition were actively utilized to compete for the electronic warfare aircraft system development project. Rep. Kim's office pointed out, "If the scores from the four projects suspected of being won illegally are deducted, the evaluation rankings for the electronic warfare aircraft system development project could change."

The LIG D&A case is known as the largest defense corruption scandal in history. Following DAPA, LIG D&A faces an unavoidable succession of sanctions from the Korea Institute of Defense Technology Advancement (KRIT). This is not the end. Several LIG D&A employees have also been referred to the prosecution on allegations of involvement in a leak of classified information concerning counter-battery radar. Military personnel implicated in the same case have already been indicted and are awaiting their first-instance verdicts. LIG D&A must also overcome the hurdle of the counter-battery radar classified leak scandal.

The six defense projects that LIG D&A is accused of illegally winning are: small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) response systems, intelligent signal detection technology, real-time wideband multi-threat signal environment simulation technology, jamming technology against electronically scanned array radars, real-time counter-satellite jamming technology based on space radio environment situational awareness models, and module platforms for active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. Among the six tainted projects, four were included in LIG D&A's proposal for the electronic warfare aircraft system development project obtained by Rep. Kim's office: small UAV response systems, intelligent signal detection technology, real-time wideband multi-threat signal environment simulation technology, and jamming technology against electronically scanned array radars.

During yesterday's parliamentary audit, Rep. Kim pointed out, "While [LIG D&A] claimed that these technologies had nothing to do with the electronic warfare aircraft system development, LIG D&A itself marked the relevance of the intelligent signal detection technology to the electronic warfare aircraft project as 'highest' in its self-evaluation." Rep. Kim also noted, "If [the four suspected illicitly won projects] are factored into all evaluations, the score rankings could change." An official from Rep. Kim's office stated, "We believe the four suspected tainted projects affected 19 out of 100 points in the evaluation of the electronic warfare aircraft system development project."

The rationale of the Suwon District Public Prosecution Office in linking LIG D&A's tainted contracts to the electronic warfare aircraft system development project becomes clear. It is difficult to understand on what basis LIG D&A has repeatedly insisted that "the electronic warfare aircraft system development project is unrelated to the defense corruption issue." DAPA must thoroughly review how much influence the tainted projects proposed by LIG D&A—including small UAV response systems, intelligent signal detection technology, real-time wideband multi-threat signal environment simulation technology, and jamming technology against electronically scanned array radars—exerted on the evaluation of the electronic warfare aircraft system development project.

The South Korean military pursued an indigenous development project for the Counter-Battery Detection Radar-II, also known as Cheonkyeong-II, designed to detect and trace enemy artillery strikes, such as North Korea's long-range artillery, to identify the origin of enemy fire. The Counter-Battery Detection Radar-II is a critical asset in counterfire operations. Its development was completed in 2017, and full-scale mass production began in 2019.

The Defense Counterintelligence Command uncovered a classified leak scandal in which LIG D&A employees, active-duty military personnel, and public officials allegedly colluded during the Counter-Battery Detection Radar-II project. Military personnel reportedly requested access to classified materials, routinely leaked items including Class III classified secrets, and handed them over to LIG D&A. Five military personnel have already been indicted, and first-instance rulings are expected as early as November. Six LIG D&A employees have reportedly been referred to the Suwon District Public Prosecution Office with a recommendation for indictment.

In the Korea Next-Generation Destroyer (KDDX) case, widely referred to as the largest classified leak scandal in history, nine defense company employees were implicated. Looking solely at the number of defense contractor employees, the Counter-Battery Detection Radar-II case is two-thirds the size of the KDDX case. It is by no means small. When asked for comment, LIG D&A responded, "As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no statement to provide." LIG D&A employees are also reportedly implicated in an unmanned surface vessel (USV) classified leak case. Troubles are mounting layer upon layer.

※