Korea, Egypt discuss arms cooperation in Cairo

Korean and Egyptian defense officials discuss arms cooperation in Cairo, Friday (local time). Courtesy of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

Korean and Egyptian defense officials have discussed ways to expand their arms industry cooperation on the sidelines of a trade show held in the Middle Eastern country, the South's arms procurement agency said Friday.

In the talks held on the sidelines of the Egypt Defence Expo earlier this week, officials discussed follow-up support measures for Egypt's acquisition of the Korean K9 self-propelled howitzer and areas of additional cooperation, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

DAPA officials also visited Korean defense firm Hanwha Aerospace local office and K9 manufacturing plant, as the two countries are seeking to locally build the weapons systems in a phased manner.

Hanwha Aerospace signed a 2 trillion-won ($1.4 billion) deal in 2022 to export K9 howitzers to Egypt, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026.