LIG Nex1 participates in Indian defense expo

LIG Nex1's booth at DEFEXPO 2020 in India. / Courtesy of LIG Nex1

By Kang Seung-woo

Local defense company LIG Nex1 is displaying precision-guided munitions at DEFEXPO 2020 in the Indian city of Lucknow, the firm said Wednesday.

The South Asian country is the second-largest buyer of Korean weapons.

The biennial event, which runs for five days, is one of Asia’s largest defense expos, inviting 165 companies from over 150 countries, including the United States, France, Russia, Israel and Korea.

The company is exhibiting its latest products — a land-based short-range surface-to-air missile; a shipborne vertical launch short-range surface-to-air missile; a 70-milimeter guided rocket, and a medium-range anti-ship missile.

It also is introducing a multi-band, multi-role, software-defined radio, which ensures seamless voice and data communication.

“We look forward to introducing LIG Nex1’s defense systems optimized for future battlefields through DEFEXPO 2020,” its CEO Kim Ji-chan said.

Meanwhile, Korea and India have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the defense industry, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh held talks in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Tuesday, and finalized a roadmap for defense industry cooperation, under which the two countries will boost their partnership in research and development of various weapons.

India will ease regulations on Korean arms manufacturers doing business there, in accordance with its “Make in India” policy — an initiative aimed at encouraging global companies to produce their products in the country as part of its efforts to create jobs.

They will set up a working-level committee in charge of the agreement’s implementation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the roadmap to President Moon Jae-in during their summit last year.

“Minister Singh expects this roadmap to open a new chapter for bilateral cooperation in arms industries and pledged to actively support Korean firms in India,” the Korean defense ministry said.