Korea, Singapore Seek Closer Military Ties
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Defense chiefs from South Korea and Singapore will meet Thursday to discuss ties between the two militaries, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.
Singapore's Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean arrived in Seoul later in the day for a five-day visit, it said in a news release.
Teo and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee will meet to discuss bilateral ties as well as security issues in the region, it said.
``The upcoming defense ministerial talks will help increase the mutual understanding of the two countries on regional security issues while also providing an opportunity to further develop the future-oriented exchange and cooperation between their militaries,'' it said.
The Lee-Teo meeting comes amid efforts by South Korea and Singapore to expand their defense ties.
Last month, the two nations held their first ``strategic dialogue'' aimed at boosting bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges.
A high agenda item of the one-day meeting was the potential sale of Seoul's T-50 supersonic trainer jets to Singapore, which wants to equip its air force with 12 to 16 advanced trainers under a $500 million trainer acquisition program.
The T-50 Golden Eagle, built by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin, was included on Singapore's short list of preferred bidders, along with the M-346 of Italy, earlier this year for its trainer jet program.
Singapore is expected to choose its preferred bidder by December next year, according to Defense Ministry and KAI officials.
The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and the world's only high-performance, supersonic trainer in production today. KAI is the prime contractor for the T-50 and Lockheed Martin is the principal subcontractor, assisting with development and international marketing.
The single-engine trainer features a variety of technological advances, including digital flight controls and a modern, ground-based training system that helps new pilots smoothly transition into advanced fighters such as the F-16 and the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
The aircraft has been operational with the South Korean Air Force since 2005, when mass production started. Per-unit price is about $21 million.