Israel Matzav

Korean Aerospace may get huge defense contract from IAF

They study Talmud and now they are poised to overtake the Italians to become the suppliers of the next generation of trainers for the IAF.

A competition to sell the Israel Air Force’s new advanced combat trainers is heating up as a Korean defense delegation plans to arrive in Israel next month to sign an agreement paving the way for increased cooperation and potentially $5 billion in sales for Israeli companies.

The agreement is part of a South Korean effort to persuade Israel to select Korean Aerospace Industries’ (KAI’s) T-50 advanced trainer as the replacement for the IAF’s aging fleet of A-4 Skyhawks, which are currently used to train cadets in their advanced pilot training.

Competing against the T-50 is Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master.

KAI alone has offered Israel over $1b. in industrial cooperation if its aircraft is chosen.

The remaining deals are expected from the Korean government.

Read the whole thing - this actually sounds like it could be huge.

One of the keys here is that the Italians have become financially unstable, while South Korea is a lot like Israel in that it's under constant threat from a heavily armed neighbor and it's become an economic powerhouse despite that threat.

Labels: arms sales, military equipment, South Korea

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:44 PM