Defense chief expresses hope for more arms exports to Middle East

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said Thursday that South Korea is expected to bag more arms contracts in the Middle East this year by building on the momentum from a large-scale missile interceptor deal in Saudi Arabia. Shin shared his optimism for more weapons deals as he returned from a three-nation trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which focused on boosting arms industry cooperation. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday disclosed that it had signed a US$3.2 billion deal with South Korean defense firm LIG Nex1 for mid-range surface-air-to missiles (M-SAM II), called Cheongung, in November. "The announcement of the M-SAM II contract is just the beginning and more contracts will continue to follow," Shin said in a meeting with reporters, without going into details. It marked LIG Nex1's second overseas sales of Cheongung-II following a deal with the UAE in January 2022. The hit-to-kill missile system is capable of intercepting incoming missiles at a maximum altitude of 20 kilometers to prot ect vital facilities from artillery and aircraft threats. During his visit to the kingdom, Shin said Saudi officials expressed interest in South Korea's plan to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet based on the KF-21, which incorporates cutting-edge technologies to fly unmanned, swarming drones alongside the fighter aircraft. "We have explained the sixth-generation fighter jet development plan to Saudi (officials)," Shin said. A defense ministry official said the two sides have not yet agreed to jointly develop the next-generation fighter jet, which still remains in the conceptual phase. South Korea plans to begin production of the homegrown KF-21 fighter jets later this year, with the aim of deploying 120 KF-21s by 2032. Shin said he also had constructive discussions with UAE and Qatari officials during his trip, expressing hope for arms deals later this year. Source: Yonhap News Agency