UAE to Proceed with 4 Trillion KRW Domestic Trainer Aircraft Acquisition Following Cheongung System

Defense Special Minister to Visit Korea Next Month... Visit to KAI
Coinciding with Moves to Replace Aging Models... Plan to Purchase 60 Units

President Moon Jae-in is delivering a commemorative speech in front of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) advanced trainer T-50 at the opening ceremony of the International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (Seoul ADEX 2017) held on the morning of the 17th at Seongnam Seoul Airport. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Following the Cheongung (medium-range surface-to-air guided missile system), a defense export contract worth 4 trillion won is expected to be pursued again with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE has shown interest in purchasing the domestically produced T-50 advanced trainer aircraft. If the T-50 export is successful, it will record the largest defense export amount in history, surpassing the Cheongung-II contract (worth 4 trillion won).

According to authorities on the 19th, Mohamed Ahmed Al Bowardi, UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs, is expected to visit South Korea next month and visit Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). A government official said, "He was originally scheduled to visit on the 21st of this month, but it was postponed due to the impact of COVID-19."

The UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs' visit to Korea is due to the country's next-generation trainer aircraft procurement project. The UAE had pursued a trainer aircraft procurement project since 2008 and initially selected an Italian model, but decided to cancel it due to poor industrial cooperation and other reasons.

The UAE recently resumed the trainer aircraft procurement project because it felt the urgent need to respond to the aging of its trainer aircraft. In particular, the project gained momentum after President Moon Jae-in recently visited the UAE and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the defense and military sectors. Im Jong-seok, Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs and National Security to the President, who accompanied President Moon on his visit to the UAE, stated, "The export of Cheongung II may seem like a remarkable short-term achievement, but this is only the beginning." This appears to be with the trainer aircraft export project in mind.

The scale of the UAE's trainer aircraft purchase is known to be about 60 units. Accordingly, if the T-50 is selected, the export amount for the trainer aircraft alone is expected to reach 3 billion dollars (3.5 trillion won). Including contracts for aircraft maintenance (MRO), pilot training, and others, related industries expect it to exceed 4.5 billion dollars (5.36 trillion won).