Military Seeks New Gas Mask Project
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced Tuesday that it will launch a project to procure new military gas masks, in a few years time, to replace K-1s.
``We plan to implement a gas mask procurement project in accordance with military requirements in the future warfare and relevant worldwide trend,'' Jung Jin-taek, director of the agency's arms procurement bureau, told reporters.
He said although the K-1 masks, which are more than 25 years old, do not have serious problems in conducting nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection operations, they have been found to contain activated carbon with chrome, harmful to human health.
The gas mask acquisition project has been included in the 2008-2022 joint military strategy plan and the Joint Chiefs of Staff is gathering opinions as to the necessary requirements the new mask has from the military branches, DAPA officials said.
Early this year, local media reported that the canister of the K-1 mask has serious defects, making soldiers vulnerable to NBC attacks.
K-1 is a Korean designed mask developed by Samgong Corp. It is intended to protect the individual soldier against NBC warfare agents.
``We humbly accept the media report that the K-1 is too old to be used in modern warfare, as it has not been upgraded over the past two decades,'' Jung said.
He said the DAPA will initiate the gas mask project in cooperation with each military branch and the state-funded Agency for Defense Development.
The DAPA will open a bid to other domestic firms for future gas mask procurement projects, he said.