In Washington, DC, a wall of remembrance with the names of 43,808 South Korean and American soldiers who died defending the Republic of Korea was unveiled.
The President of the Republic of Korea and the United States sent a commemorative message.
When the Korean War broke out, there were no tanks in the Korean army.
Fighters are right.
It was a time when I might not even imagine that it would manufacture a domestic weapon.
On the same day, yesterday, the largest export contract in history for advanced weapons made by Korean defense companies was signed.
That’s 10 trillion won. It is known that the possibility of further export is high.
So far, the largest contract for arms exports from Korea was in January of this year.
The export contract for the Cheongung 2, a surface-to-air interceptor missile signed with the United Arab Emirates was 4.2 trillion won.
First, let’s take a look at this 10 trillion won export contract to Poland, Reporter Junmyeong Shin’s report.
[기자]
Representatives of three domestic defense companies, including Korea Aerospace Industries, Hanwha Defense, and Hyundai Rotem, gathered at the Polish Ministry of Defense.
At this event, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Mariusi Włashchak delivered the contract that he had personally approved to the representatives of each company.
Poland has decided to mass-introduce three types of domestic weapons: the FA-50 domestic light attack aircraft, the K-2 Black Panther, and the K-9 self-propelled howitzer.
Under this contract, Poland will first introduce 180 K-2 tanks, and over 800 localized models will be produced in Poland.
In addition, a total of 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft, including 12, will be delivered by the middle of next year.
In the first phase, 48 K-9 self-propelled howitzers will be imported, some of which will be delivered within the year to fill the void with Ukraine support.
This is the first time for Korean military aircraft to enter Europe, and if K-2 tanks and K-9 self-propelled howitzers are included, the export value is expected to reach from at least 10 trillion won to as high as 20 trillion won.
In particular, Korea Aerospace Industries is planning to establish an aviation maintenance center in Poland to support it to serve as a hub for neighboring European countries in the future, and to establish an international flight school to train pilots.
Regarding the background of Poland’s strengthening defense cooperation with South Korea, such as large-scale arms purchases, Defense Minister Mariusi said, “We had to fill the power gap due to Ukraine’s support, but considering the technology, price, and timing of introduction, South Korea’s weapon system was the most suitable. “He said.
Industry insiders explain that the basic contract signed this time is the previous stage of the main contract and can be viewed as an order contract in effect.
Although this large-scale contract was limited to Poland, attention is focused on whether it will become an opportunity for domestic weapons to enter the European market in earnest. My name is Junmyeong Shin from YTN.
[앵커]
So far, we have mainly exported to Asia and the Middle East, but now the export route to Europe and NATO countries is wide open.
What is the level of K-defense? Exports amounted to 8,349.6 billion won last year. South Korea’s arms share 2.7% in the global defense materials market, ranking 9th in the world.
The trend is even more surprising.
Comparing Korea’s exports from 2016 to 2020 compared to those from 2001 to 2005, the growth rate is a whopping 7.5 times, the second in the world following Spain during the same period.
The level of defense science and technology in Korea is ranked 9th in the world.
In short, K-defense is not yet the world’s best.
However, it is evaluated that it has reached the level of aiming for the world’s best.
The K-2 tank, FA-50 attack aircraft, and K9 self-propelled howitzer are at the forefront of K-Defense exported to Poland this time.
At first glance, tanks and self-propelled guns look similar. I am from a self-propelled artillery unit.
Reporter Lee Kyo-jun will explain more regarding these three weapons. Let’s see.
[기자
국내 독자기술로 개발한 ‘K2 흑표 전차’는막강한 화력을 자랑하는 3.5세대 전차입니다.
최대 시속 70㎞의 속도로 돌진하고 4m 이상 잠수해 하천을 건널 수 있습니다.
표적 자동탐지와 능동방어 능력 등 다수의 첨단 기능도 갖췄습니다.
한반도의 험난한 지형에 최적화된 전차로 폴란드 육군의 산악 작전에도 적합합니다.
[김의환 / 현대로템 방산본부 기술 고문·전 국방과학연구소 흑표전차 개발단장 : 현존하는 전차들 중에서 가장 최근에 개발된 전차로서 화력, 기동력, 생존성, 정보통신, 이런 전차에 필요한 각 기술적 요소가, 최첨단의 기술들이 반영되어 있는 그런 전차예요.]
[기자]
The K-9 self-propelled howitzer is a weapon system that has already been recognized for its performance in European countries such as Turkey and Finland.
The 155mm self-propelled howitzer can precisely strike targets 40km away and can run at a speed of up to 67km/h.
When given an order, it can fire 3 rounds within 15 seconds, up to 8 rounds per minute.
In particular, the high-strength armor plate developed in Korea increases the survivability of the enemy’s artillery firepower.
[양욱 / 아산정책연구원 부연구위원 : (K9 자주포는) 사거리나 여러 가지 능력들을 바탕으로 했을 때 굉장히 발전 가능성이 높은 자주포라고 폴란드가 판단했을 것입니다.]
[기자]
The FA-50 is a light attack aircraft armed with various bombs and missiles to the T-50, the first domestic supersonic trainer.
In the case of the improved performance type, the power can be increased by installing an aerial refueling device and a precision strike guidance device.
The Polish government expects that the introduction of South Korean weapons will substantially enhance its deterrent and defense potential. This is Kyojun Lee from YTN.
YTN Ho Jun-seok (junes@ytn.co.kr)
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