Update: South Korea agrees TACAN deal for navy vessels

South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has agreed a deal to integrate a domestically developed tactical air navigation (TACAN) system onto Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) ships.

DAPA said the contract, worth KRW10 billion (USD6.8 million), was signed on 16 December with TACAN developer – the state-owned Korea Airports Corporation (KAC). Under the deal the system will be installed on unspecified ships by 2027, replacing ageing imported navigation equipment.

A spokesperson for DAPA told Janes on 30 December 2024 that KAC will supply “nine sets” of its Skymaru 400S TACAN systems to the RoKN.

“[Skymaru 400S] features a vibration and shock absorption design tailored to maritime operational environments. It has successfully obtained international certification for 23 standards across 13 categories under the latest US defence specifications and passed the Korean government's performance suitability assessment.

“Additionally, it is priced at approximately 70% of the cost of the existing equipment, offering excellent cost competitiveness,” the spokesperson said.

DAPA said the TACAN system would also enhance the RoKN's aviation support operations. “All RoKN ships currently rely on imported tactical navigation equipment,” it said. “This equipment takes time to repair when it breaks down and repair parts have been discontinued, making it increasingly difficult for the RoKN to operate this equipment efficiently.”

The DAPA spokesperson said that the RoKN plans to replace about 30 existing shipboard TACAN systems by 2030.

For more information, please see South Korea installs new tactical air navigation systems .

This story, originally published on 17 December 2024, has been updated with new information.