South Korea's Navy is considering obtaining some 30 Russian Kamov Ka-32 utility helicopters as the two countries negotiate Moscow's debt repayment with arms, the U.S. military weekly Defense News reported Monday.
Adm. Song Young-moo, chief of naval operations, discussed the plan with Russian officials during his Moscow visit last month, according to the weekly.
Song hoped that the Russian aircraft would fly from the 14,000-ton, large-deck landing ship Dokdo for transport missions until South Korea deploys its own copters in 2012 through the Korea Helicopter Program (KHP), it said.
The projected deal would be part of an arms-for-debt swap to settle South Korea's loans to Russia in 1991, when the two countries normalized relations. When Moscow became unable to pay back on time, it agreed to provide the equivalent in weapons under a deal known as "Brown Bear." South Korea has since received tanks, anti-tank missiles, Ka-32 helicopters and fighting vehicles.
South Korea's Air Force, maritime police and Forest Service already operate Ka-32s, some of them on search-and-rescue missions.
Kim Hyung-ki, spokesman for the South Korean defense ministry, said nothing has been decided "but it's true that the Korean government is considering signing another arms-for-debt contract with Russia."
"I believe the government will more focus on acquiring Russia's state of the art weapon technology this time rather than the introduction of weapon systems," he told the weekly.
Under the KHP, South Korea would produce 245 advanced troop-carrying helicopters in partnership with EADS subsidiary Eurocopter.