SEONGNAM, South Korea—L3Harris has identified Taiwan as a potential buyer of a Bombardier Global 6500 airborne early warning and control aircraft featuring Israeli radars. 

Taiwan has operated six Northrop Grumman E-2K Hawkeye aircraft with APS-145 radars, but the air force been looking for a replacement. In 2021, the air force reportedly wanted to buy six E-2Ds, featuring the APY-9 radar. But the acquisition has stalled amidst concerns over costs and U.S. export approvals. 

Earlier this year, L3Harris announced it was forming a team with Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta Group to modify the Global 6500 with an upgraded version of the EL/W-2085 multiband radar system, which is now installed on conformal airborne early warning Gulfstream G550s flown by Israel and Italy. 

The new L3Harris solution is being offered to South Korea and NATO for airborne early warning fleet replacements, but Taiwan also has emerged as a potential buyer, said Mark Kobussen, director of strategic collection and targeting programs at L3Harris. 

“We’ve talked to Taiwan about it,” he said during an interview here at the Seoul ADEX airshow. 

So far, the Taiwanese government has not submitted a letter of request for pricing information, Kobussen added.

In his pitch to Taiwan, Kobussen said the combination of the Global 6500 platform with an Israeli radar has several advantages. The Bombardier business jet derivative can fly highter at 41,000 ft. and still see across the Taiwan Strait from the eastern side of the island, where it is less vulnerable. The Israeli radar makes it potentially easier for the U.S. government to export as a “mostly” direct commercial sale.

“If you look at I think what the U.S. government wants to do with Taiwan, this makes a lot more sense,” Kobussen said.