The E-7 airborne early warning and control aircraft, also called Wedgetail, is known for its advanced radar and surveillance capabilities. (Boeing)

The U.S. State Department recently approved the possible sale of four E-7 airborne early warning and control aircraft, also known as Wedgetails, to bolster South Korea’s reconnaissance capabilities.

The potential $4.92 billion sale to South Korea includes 10 jet engines and various other infrared, navigation and radio equipment for the Wedgetails, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. press release of November 4.

The agency, part of the Department of Defense, manages the Foreign Military Sales program. Sales of more than $25 million in military equipment to NATO members and five other countries, including South Korea, require congressional approval.

The aircraft will enhance South Korea’s “ability to address current and future threats by providing enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities as well as airborne early warning and control capabilities,” according to the press release.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to increase his country’s military preparedness against the North Korean missile threat.

Last year, the South Korean, U.S. and Japanese militaries activated a data-sharing system to improve their ability to detect and track North Korean missile launches in real time.

“The three countries established this mechanism to enhance their ability to ensure the security of their people by trilaterally detecting and assessing missiles launched by (North Korea) in real time,” the US Department of Defense said in a statement. press release of December 19.

North Korea has launched approximately 45 missiles in 12 separate days of testing so far this year. The communist regime last fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on November 5, according to the South Korean and Japanese militaries.

Acquiring the Wedgetails is “critical to detecting possible aerial aggression by North Korea,” defense analyst Harpreet Sidhu said in a news release from U.K.-based consulting firm GlobalData on Monday.

“The E-7 aircraft, known for its advanced radar and surveillance capabilities, will provide South Korea with comprehensive situational awareness and enhance its ability to monitor contested airspace,” Sidhu said. “It will also strengthen (the South Korean Air Force’s) interoperability with the United States and other (Asia-Pacific) allies, especially as North Korean missile threats -Korean continues to increase.”

Interoperability is a term used by the military to describe the ability of one country’s forces to use another country’s training methods and equipment.

The Wedgetail was initially developed for use by the Australian Defense Force, according to an Air Force press release dated April 26, 2022. The aircraft is based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation airliner and provides commanders with an overview of the battlefield with its long-range radar. and communications systems, according to the Boeing website.

The jet has a range of about 4,000 miles without refueling and can fly at a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet, the website says.

The Air Force has decided to replace its fleet of E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft with the Wedgetail in 2022 and has awarded Boeing a contract for a service-specific E-7 prototype not to exceed 1.2 billion starting the following year, according to a Feb. 28, 2023, Air Force press release.