U.S., Israel vie to sell early warning planes to S. Korea

The United States and Israel have been exchanging frosty words as the countries compete to sell South Korea an early warning aircraft (EWA).

A Korean defense ministry delegation, headed by the deputy defense minister in charge of acquisitions, is presently in Israel to discuss the deal, which would be worth more than $1 billion.

The South Korean air force is expected to make its decision in about two weeks. Although both Israel and South Korea describe the visit as routine, one of the main issues the mission will discuss is the purchase of the EWA.

The American administration is steamrolling Korea to give the project to American companies. The American pressure derives, among other things, from the Israeli offer being $300 million to $400 million cheaper.

The proposal made by Israel Aircraft Industries and Elta Systems, based on the American-made Gulfstream Aerospace aircraft, is to supply four planes for $1.2 billion. The American proposal is estimated at $1.5 billion to $2 billion and is based on Boeing's Artificial Intelligence Voice Address System (AIVAS) aircraft.