Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, said Tuesday it signed separate memorandums of understanding with LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Aerospace to develop and integrate domestically made aircraft weapons and to jointly market exports aimed at boosting the export competitiveness of the KF-21 and FA-50.
The agreements were signed at the third World Defense Show underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, KAI said.
Under the MOUs, the companies will expand cooperation on joint technical reviews and systems integration for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons for the KF-21 and FA-50, diversify their weapons portfolios and strengthen joint marketing.
KAI said the cooperation is expected to help ensure stable execution of systems development projects led by the Agency for Defense Development, including long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground guided missiles, and to build a weapons data link between the KF-21’s AESA radar and guided missiles to secure technology at a global top-tier level.
KAI said close coordination between the country’s only aircraft systems integrator and leading domestic equipment and weapons makers will support package exports that combine South Korean aircraft platforms such as the KF-21 and FA-50 with South Korean-made weapons, while joint marketing is intended to further strengthen competitiveness and expand export markets.
KAI noted that Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries prefer package proposals that integrate aircraft platforms with equipment and weapons, calling the partnership a step toward entering the regional market.
“KF-21 and FA-50 are symbols of ‘Team Korea’ in K-defense, built through the efforts of many domestic partners in their respective specialties,” KAI CEO Cha Jae Byung said. “As trust in K-defense technology rises, overseas customers have recently been asking for Korean packages covering not only aircraft platforms but overall operating systems, so joint marketing with domestic defense companies will be effective in expanding K-defense exports.”
Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae Il said he is confident the companies will meet their goals for aircraft weapons development through “synergy” between Hanwha’s experience in missile development tasks and KAI’s fighter systems integration capabilities. He said the effort will help win global customers’ trust and contribute to sustainable growth for K-defense exports.
LIG Nex1 CEO Shin Ik Hyun said the company will work with KAI so the partnership leads to discovering new export projects and developing next-generation solutions, benefiting both companies and the broader South Korean defense industry.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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