signatory
12-13-2005, 04:35 AM
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200512/kt2005121317304711980.htm
South Korea has chosen Eurocopter, a consortium from France, Germany and Spain, to co-develop and produce 245 advanced military helicopters over 20 years under a multi-billion-dollar procurement project, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The decision was made at the ministry¡¯s procurement deliberation committee on Monday. The final results and details of the contract will be made public today after a briefing with Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung, said Ahn Jung-hoon, the ministry¡¯s spokesman.
The deal, estimated at some $6 billion (6.2 trillion won), marks the first contract that South Korea, which has been largely dependent on the alliance with the United States, has granted a non-U.S. company in its military procurement projects.
Eurocopter, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the European Aeronautic, Defense and Space Company (EADS), competed for the Korean Helicopter Program (KHP) with Bell Helicopter of the United States and Agusta Westland, a joint venture aeronautics company of Britain and Italy.
Eurocopter has reportedly promised Seoul a wide technology transfer for the technical platform for the helicopter development.
Under the KHP, the ministry plans to deploy 245 advanced troop-carrying helicopters in the field beginning in 2012, after developing six prototypes by December 2011.
The project is part of the ministry¡¯s mid- to long-term arms acquisition plan to replace the Army¡¯s aging helicopter fleet toward building a ``self-reliant¡¯¡¯defense capability.
About $8.6 billion will set aside for the research and development, and management of the sophisticated military aircraft over the next 40 years, an official at the KHP Management Office said. A KHP helicopter costs about $15 million.
The KHP helicopter is capable of carrying 13 soldiers and is equipped with high-tech weapons systems, including two sets of 7.62-milimeter machine guns, he said.
South Korea¡¯s state-funded aerospace research agencies, including the Korea Aerospace Research Institutes (KARI) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), will participate in the helicopter development project with Eurocopter, ministry officials said.
The Eurocopter group was established in 1992 from the merger between the helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale-matra of France and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace of Germany.
South Korea has chosen Eurocopter, a consortium from France, Germany and Spain, to co-develop and produce 245 advanced military helicopters over 20 years under a multi-billion-dollar procurement project, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The decision was made at the ministry¡¯s procurement deliberation committee on Monday. The final results and details of the contract will be made public today after a briefing with Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung, said Ahn Jung-hoon, the ministry¡¯s spokesman.
The deal, estimated at some $6 billion (6.2 trillion won), marks the first contract that South Korea, which has been largely dependent on the alliance with the United States, has granted a non-U.S. company in its military procurement projects.
Eurocopter, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the European Aeronautic, Defense and Space Company (EADS), competed for the Korean Helicopter Program (KHP) with Bell Helicopter of the United States and Agusta Westland, a joint venture aeronautics company of Britain and Italy.
Eurocopter has reportedly promised Seoul a wide technology transfer for the technical platform for the helicopter development.
Under the KHP, the ministry plans to deploy 245 advanced troop-carrying helicopters in the field beginning in 2012, after developing six prototypes by December 2011.
The project is part of the ministry¡¯s mid- to long-term arms acquisition plan to replace the Army¡¯s aging helicopter fleet toward building a ``self-reliant¡¯¡¯defense capability.
About $8.6 billion will set aside for the research and development, and management of the sophisticated military aircraft over the next 40 years, an official at the KHP Management Office said. A KHP helicopter costs about $15 million.
The KHP helicopter is capable of carrying 13 soldiers and is equipped with high-tech weapons systems, including two sets of 7.62-milimeter machine guns, he said.
South Korea¡¯s state-funded aerospace research agencies, including the Korea Aerospace Research Institutes (KARI) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), will participate in the helicopter development project with Eurocopter, ministry officials said.
The Eurocopter group was established in 1992 from the merger between the helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale-matra of France and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace of Germany.