US Firm Under Probe for Radar Supply Fraud

Military prosecutors are investigating a suspicion that a major U.S. defense company sold old radar systems disguised as new ones to the South Korean Navy between 2003 and 2005, officials of the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

The radars were installed on three 4,500-ton KDX-III destroyers, they said.

"We're still checking to see if there is reasonable ground for the suspicions," a ministry spokesman said.

He said the investigation began based on tip-offs that the Navy might have been defrauded in a commercial deal valued at nearly $30 million.

The Navy had reportedly identified flaws in the radars' performance and raised the suspicion that the radars may have been "recycled." The Navy has six KDX-II destroyers.

The ships have a 32-cell strike-length Mk 41 vertical launch system for SM-2 Block III/A air defense missiles, a 21-round RAM inner-layer defense missile launcher, a 30mm Goalkeeper close-in weapon system, eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles and two triple 324mm anti-submarine torpedo tubes.

Posted in: Frigates,Naval,Radar,South Korea,USA