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Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing compete to sell arms overseas
South Korean defense firms run booths at Defense & Security 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand. The four-day exhibition will end Thursday. / Joint press corps
By Jun Ji-hye
By Joint press corps, Jun Ji-hye
South Korea, Japan and China are showcasing their latest arms and defense technologies in order to win contracts at a defense fair in Thailand, officials said Wednesday.
It is the first time that the three countries have taken part in an international defense exhibition together ― it was Tokyo’s first-ever time to participate with a national pavilion following the country’s recent decision to expand its military role overseas.
Defense & Security 2015 began on Monday in Bangkok for a four-day run with the participation of some 400 world defense and internal security companies from 50 countries, according to organizers of the exhibition.
Korea’s pavilion at the biennial event featured the booths of the nation’s 22 defense firms including Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).
Daewoo displayed mockups of its frigate and submarine.
The company won a $500 million deal to export frigates to Thailand in 2013, but in June of this year, Bangkok selected a Chinese firm as the preferred bidder for its project to buy submarines.
While Korea has recently fallen behind China in a vessel deal, the nation’s sole aircraft manufacturer KAI won a $110 million deal in September to export trainer jets to Thailand. The Southeast Asian country selected the KAI T-50 supersonic trainer jets over the Chinese-made L15 to replace aging trainer aircraft for its Air Force.
The KAI’s booth this time featured the mockups of the FA-50 light attack fighter, a variant of the T-50, and Surion Korean Utility Helicopters (KUH-1).
An official said, “The nation will need to create a well-calculated plan for its defense exports as Thailand, an ally of the U.S. that maintains good relations with China at the same time, is expected to be engaged in diverse projects with many countries.”
China ran a joint booth featuring two state-run defense firms and three private companies that mainly displayed ground weapons such as armored personnel carriers and tanks.
An official from the state-run Norinco said, “China’s state-run companies are each in charge of projects for Army, Air Force and Navy, and are focusing on strengthening their technical skills.”
Japan’s pavilion housed nine defense-related enterprises including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Crisis Intelligence.
An official from Crisis Intelligence said, “This is the first time for Japan to run a national pavilion. We will take this exhibition as an opportunity to promote Japanese defense brands to the world.”
He added that his country is planning to host an international aerospace and defense exhibition for the first time in October next year.
The country’s active move to promote its defense goods followed the Shinzo Abe administration’s adoption of a new guideline of defense equipment transfer in April of last year that eased a ban on arms exports.
The country also established the Defense Acquisition and Technology (D-ATLA), a defense procurement agency, last month at its Ministry of Defense.
The move to expand its military role overseas was given the green light by its Diet with the recent passage of a set of controversial security bills in September that allow its armed forces to assist other countries in armed conflicts in the name of the right to collective self-defense ― the use of force to support an ally under attack.
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