South Korea has revised its plan to upgrade its military radio system with next-generation software used by the United States and its allies.
On June 30 the decision-making committee of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration approved the revised plan to employ SATURN software for the armed forces. The move aligns with U.S. security policy that restricts integration of the system into foreign-made radio equipment.
Under the revision the military will adjust the ground and naval assets included in the upgrade. The deployment timeline has been pushed back to 2032 from the original target of 2028.
SATURN is designed to prevent jamming, blocking or eavesdropping on communications between allied aircraft, ships and ground forces. South Korea is spending 2.17 trillion won between 2022 and 2032 on the program, and the budget is expected to rise due to the changes.