In an attempt to boost defence cooperation under country?s Look East Policy, Indian defence minister will visit South Korea for the first time. Ties between India and South Korea are poised to receive a major boost when defence minister AK Antony starts his two-day visit to Seoul on Thursday at the invitation of of his counterpart, Kim Tae-young.
The visit will cover wide range of issues, including defence cooperation for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Bilateral cooperation in research and development for manufacturing military equipment will also figure prominently during the discussion between Antony and the top leadership of South Korea.
South Korea is likely to discuss the status of the South Korean basic trainer for the Indian Air Force. Earlier this year, in March, Korea Aerospace Industries responded to RFP for 75 basic trainer aircraft on multi-vendor basis. South Korean company has offered their KT-1 trainer.
?We understand that the Indian market is big and realise that there is an opportunity for us to enter the Indian defence sector by offering our trainers that are not only cost effective but also suitable for training new pilots,? Korea Aerospace Industries executive vice-president & general manager (marketing division) Enes Park had told FE.
The manufacturers to whom RFPs have been sent include global names like Embraer?s Tucano, Pilatus (PC-7 or PC-/9), Raytheon (T-6 Texan), Finmeccanica (M-311), Grob Aircraft Company (G-120TP), EADS PZL (PZL-130-TC-11 Orik) and Korea Aerospace Industries (KT-1).
The minister?s visit has been planned as a follow-up of the declaration issued by both countries during the official visit of the South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak to New Delhi in January this year.