F-22 Raptor, Global Hawk will be exhibited in Korea next month

F-22 Raptor

By Jun Ji-hye

Global Hawk

The United States will send two F-22 Raptor fighters and one Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle to Korea next month for the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2015 (Seoul ADEX 2015), officials said Thursday.

A manager of the exhibition said, asking not to be named, “Those attending will be able to see two Raptor fighters and one Global Hawk.”

This is the first time such strategic U.S. aircraft will be displayed at the biennial exhibition, which shows rising U.S. interest in Korea purchasing advanced weapons. Only a mock-up of the Global Hawk was shown during the last event in 2013.

The official added that Washington is finalizing the number of jets to fly in from the U.S.

The Ministry of National Defense said the Seoul ADEX 2015 will take place for six days from Oct. 20 at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

The event, which began in 1996, includes indoor exhibits, demonstration flights and an outdoor exhibition of aircraft and ground equipment.

Deputy defense ministry spokesman Col. Na Seung-yong said, “386 defense companies from 32 countries will take part in the event with advanced fighter jets, ground weapons and drones.”

Europe’s Airbus Defence & Space’s A330 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport) will also be at the exhibition. The aerial tanker was selected in June over U.S. rival Boeing’s KC-46 for the ROK Air Force’s 1.4 trillion won ($1.3 billion) project to buy four in-flight refueling tankers by 2019.

Officials said the Seoul ADEX 2015 is a good chance for domestic companies to promote their products to the international market as some 80 high-ranking defense officials including defense ministers and chiefs of staff as well as defense experts from all over the world are expected to attend the event.

The nation’s domestically developed K-2 tanks and K-9 self-propelled howitzers as well as the KT-1 and T-50 trainer aircraft will be on display.

The ministry noted that Seoul will form a separate exhibition during the event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule to show the history of the buildup of the nation’s military force and suggest a blueprint for development of defense science and technology in the future.

It added that the event will also feature a meeting of Air Force chiefs of staff from seven or eight nations. Seoul has invited Air Force chiefs of staff from the U.S. and China, but they have yet to give a definite answer, according to officials.

A total of 361 exhibitors from 28 nations took part in the last event in 2013.

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