(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) South Korea's newly established air defense zone went into effect on Sunday, with its airborne early warning and control aircraft conducting a patrol and surveillance mission over it. A week ago, Seoul announced the new Korean air defense identification zone (KADIZ) to counter China's unilateral decision to expand its own to cover a reef and other islands off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea's (Yonhap) News Agency. The new zone is designed to have its southern boundary match the country's broader flight information region, including airspace over the Seoul-controlled reef of Ieodo and the southern islands of Marado and Hongdo. "The early warning plane will conduct a patrol and surveillance mission over some parts of the expanded air defense zone," a government official said. "But the mission doesn't include the skies over Ieodo." Another official said the Navy will also fly its P3-C anti-submarine surveillance aircraft over the expanded area for patrol missions four to five times a week. According to officials, any foreign aircraft passing through the zone will be required to identify themselves 15-30 minutes in advance, maintain communication and file flight plans. As part of efforts to promptly send South Korean fighter jets to the southern region, Seoul plans to acquire four aerial refueling tankers to extend operational capabilities. Currently, a KF-16 can conduct missions only for 20 minutes above Ieodo, which can be extended up to 80 minutes above the area. South Korea's change to KADIZ, which was drawn in 1951 by the US Air Force during the 1950-53 Korean War, is the first in more than six decades.
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