S. Korea, UAE discuss cooperation on Cheongung interceptors, KF-21 jets
This file photo provided by Hanwha Systems shows Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile multi-function radar. Yonhap
Senior Air Force officials from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held talks Tuesday on defense cooperation, including South Korea's homegrown Cheongung air defense system and KF-21 fighter jet.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-su and Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al Shamsi, commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, met at Lee's office in Gyeryong, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the South's Air Force.
Lee pledged to offer support for the UAE to successfully operate the Cheongung-II system the country purchased in 2022, it said, adding the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to hold regular talks between their armed services.
On Wednesday, the two officials plan to sign a letter of intent for comprehensive cooperation on the KF-21, which is currently undergoing production and is scheduled to be delivered to the South's Air Force next year.
Under the preliminary agreement, the UAE Air Force will be able to observe air drills involving the KF-21 and visit South Korean units that will operate the fighter jet, the Air Force said.
Brig. Gen. Azzan Ali Abdulazeez Alsharhan Alnuaimi, commander of the UAE's Air Force Warfare Center, will board a KF-21 prototype for a test flight on the sidelines of the signing ceremony at an air base in Sacheon, about 290 km south of Seoul.
Al Shamsi will also meet Defense Acquisition Program Administration Minister Seok Jong-gun for talks on arms industry cooperation before he departs for the UAE on Thursday, according to the Air Force.