S. Korea Signs Trainer Deal With Turkey
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The state-funded Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has signed a $500 million contract with Turkey to export 55 upgraded versions of the KT-1 Woongbi basic trainer, the KAI said Sunday.
The deal is the country's second largest arms export after Samsung Techwin's $1-billion license deal over the K-9 self-propelled howitzer with Turkey in 2001.
Chung Hae-joo, president of the KAI, and Turkey's chief procurement official, Murat Bayar, signed the contract in Istanbul Friday, it said in a press release.
Turkey awarded the contract to KAI, which had competed with Brazil's Embraer with the Super Tucano, on June 20.
The initial deal was for 40 KT-1s and a follow-up contract for the remaining 15 trainers will be made in 2008, it said.
KAI will develop an export version of KT-1, named XKT1-C, equipped with advanced avionics systems, until 2009 and the delivery will be completed by 2013, it said.
``The KT-1 deal with Turkey is significant in that Turkey, which have used U.S.-made trainers, has selected the Korean trainer. That proves the KT-1 has been recognized as the world's top-class trainer with both great performances and affordability,'' said Park Jae-jeom, a chief executive officer in charge of the KT-1 export.
``Based on the latest achievement, we expect the KT-1 will get the upper hand in competing with foreign aircraft makers in the global trainer market,'' he said.
Jointly developed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development from 1988 to 1998, the KT-1 was the first in its class to be designed entirely by computer. The trainer is equipped with all the systems needed to teach intricate acrobatic maneuvers, as well as a computer-controlled flight system.
The 10.3-meter aircraft has turbo-prop engines boasting a 950-horsepower that can generate a maximum speed of up to 574 kilometers per hour. It can fly at an altitude of 9,000 to 11,000 meters and cover a distance of 1,700 kilometers without refueling.
KAI developed an armed variant of the KT-1, the KO-1 forward air control plane, in 2003.
It has sold 12 KT-1s to Indonesia, which is considering buying eight more, KAI officials said.
KAI aims to become the 10th largest aircraft firm in the world by 2013 by securing 20 to 30 percent of the global trainer market for 600 trainers, officials said.