Military

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  First RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance plane delivered to S. Korea SEOUL -- A RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance plane purchased by South Korea landed at an airbase to support ground troop actions by scanning and tracking the movement of enemy missile and troops movements. Air force officials believe RQ-4s will enhance South Korea's operational capabilities as they will work together with advanced stealth jets. It was the first of Northrop Grumman's four RQ-4Bs South Korea has agreed to purchase under a 2014 2019-12-23
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  Hanwha Systems embarks on development of automatic terrain following technology SEOUL -- With no technical support from U.S. companies, the developers of South Korea's home-made KF-X fighter jet will push ahead with the independent development of crucial software that allows high-tech aircraft to make detection by enemy radar more difficult by flying low and safe along the terrain. Hanwha Systems, a provider of defense products and technologies, signed a deal with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), a state research body in 2019-12-12
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  Daewoo shipyard works on design upgrade of submarine pressure hull SEOUL -- In a project aimed at securing original technology, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), a key player in South Korea's attack submarine program, has embarked on the sophistication of design for the pressure hull, a structure that withstands external water pressure and requires a high degree of precision. DSME said that researchers from the shipbuilder, Posco and Korean Register (KR) would join forces to acquire elevated technology for press 2019-12-11
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  N. Korea's multiple launch rocket system shows technical progress and deficiency as well SEOUL -- North Korea's "super-large" multiple launch rocket system showed technical progress and deficiency as well in a series of test launches that began in August. The time of continuous launch was reduced from 17 minutes to 30 seconds in three months, but a launch vehicle with four tubes used fixed supports on its front and back to fire just two projectiles. Two projectiles, launched from Yeonpo in South Hamgyong Province into waters off the ea 2019-11-29
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  Defense cost-sharing talks cut short as U.S. walks out: Yonhap SEOUL -- Defense cost-sharing talks between South Korea and the United States were abruptly cut short Tuesday as the U.S. negotiators walked out of the meeting and accused Seoul of making proposals falling short of "fair and equitable burden sharing." The unexpected ending underlined wide differences between the two sides after Washington's reported demand for a fivefold increase in Seoul's sharing of the cost of the upkeep of about 28,500 American tr 2019-11-19
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  N. Korea wants 'basic solution' in ending U.S. hostile policy U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (L) and his South Korean counterpart, Jeong Kyeong-doo, shake hands at the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul on November 15. SEOUL -- North Korea urged the United States to put forth "a basic solution" for lifting its hostile policy ahead of high-level annual military talks between Seoul and Washington that would cover sensitive topics such as the cost of keeping American troops and strategic assets o 2019-11-15
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  Front-line soldiers supplied with padded down jackets as winter uniform A picture released by the Defense Ministry shows front-line soldiers wearing black padded down jackets supplied as a winter uniform. SEOUL -- Black padded jackets became an essential winter item for some 124,000 front-line soldiers guarding the inter-Korean border, reflecting the fad among young South Koreans to wear jackets filled with down feathers. The defense ministry said Wednesday that it began supplying black quilted and padded jackets filled with down f 2019-11-13
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  KT partners with Hyundai Rotem to develop autonomous driving platform for civilian and military use Hyundai Rotem's small unmanned ground vehicle HR-Sherpa SEOUL -- KT, a top telecom company in South Korea, partnered with Hyundai Rotem, a key subsidiary of the Hyundai auto group, to develop a 5G-based unmanned group vehicle and related technologies that could be used diversely at industrial sites and battlefields. KT said in a statement on Tuesday that the two companies would develop a control tower platform and a remote operation system for autonomous ground v 2019-11-05
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  N. Korea tested continuous fire system of "super-large" multiple rocket launchers: KCNA A picture published by North Korea's state media shows the test launch of "super-large" multiple rocket launchers on October 31. SEOUL -- North Korea claimed to have successfully verified the security of a continuous fire system in the test launch of "super-large" multiple rocket launchers. It was part of North Korea's push for the development of new solid-fuel weapons to replace a stockpile of inaccurate liquid-fuel short-range missiles 2019-11-01
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  Hanwha Defense shortlisted to send trial manufactured AS21 Redbacks for Australia's evaluation SEOUL -- Hanwha Defense Systems, a key defense contractor in South Korea, was shortlisted to ship three trial manufactured AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicles for an Australian military project to replace old armored personnel carriers. The AS21 Redback is competing with the Lynix developed by Rheinmetall Landsysteme of Germany. The AS21 Redback, which is the advanced version of Hanwha's K21, and the Lynx, configured as a KF31 infantry figh 2019-10-23
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  LIG Nex1 partners with Thales to upgrade operation mode of identification friend or foe equipment SEOUL -- LIG Nex1, a South Korean defense company, partnered with Thales of France to cooperate in upgrading the operation mode of identification friend or foe (IFF) equipment that enables military and civilian air traffic control interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles or forces as friendly. LIG Nex1 said a letter of intent on technology cooperation to upgrade the mode of IFF from 4 to 5 was signed with Thales at Seoul ADEX 2019, an aerospace and defe 2019-10-18
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  Airbus presents C295 MPA as 'excellent' solution for surveillance requirements in S. Korea SEOUL -- Airbus, a European aircraft manufacturer, presented its C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) as an "excellent" solution for South Korea's surveillance requirements as it is equipped with state-of-the-art mission systems and comprehensive sensor suites and offers low risks and low operating costs. "The C295 MPA is highly competent with state-of-the-art mission systems and comprehensive sensor suites," Johan Pelissier, head of Asia 2019-10-16
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  KAI, Airbus seek to find export market for S. Korea's Surion chopper SEOUL -- Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the sole aircraft maker in South Korea, will join hands with the helicopter manufacturing division of Airbus for the global marketing of Surion, a home-made transport chopper, reflecting efforts by the two development partners to find an export market. At the initiative of CEO Ahn Hyun-ho, KAI has decided to sign a memorandum of understanding with Airbus Helicopters on cooperation in marketing and technology at Seoul ADEX 20 2019-10-16
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  Korean Air teams up with Raytheon for military project to introduce surveillance aircraft SEOUL -- Korea Air has agreed to team up with Raytheon, a major U.S. defense contractor, in pushing for their participation in South Korea's military project to introduce surveillance aircraft for ground-based mobile target monitoring and early warning systems that are required to closely monitor North Korean missile bases. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding on technical cooperation at Seoul ADEX 2019, an aerospace and defense exhibition hel 2019-10-16
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  S. Korea unveils actual model of home-made KF-X fighter jet SEOUL -- The actual model of South Korea's home-made KF-X fighter jet was unveiled along with an operational weapons system. The design of hardware and software has been completed, with component fabrication underway. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) plans to deliver the first prototype in the first half of 2021. The KF-X project aimed at manufacturing 120 fighter jets that would replace South Korea's aged fleet of US-made 2019-10-14
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  S. Korea's navy retains hopes of having nuclear-powered submarine SEOUL -- South Korea has not abandoned hopes of having a home-made nuclear submarine by maintaining a related task force as part of a long-term defense build-up program, in spite of indifference that increased due to a dramatic letup in military tensions following a series of inter-Korean summits. In a report to a parliamentary audit on Thursday, the navy said it has operated a task force related to nuclear-powered submarines from a long-term perspective. Choi 2019-10-10
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  Full development of N. Korea's new SRBMs requires additional flight tests: expert SEOUL -- Since May this year, North Korea has tested new solid-fuel short-range ballistic missiles, probably designed for the precision delivery of conventional warheads, to replace a stockpile of liquid-fuel missiles which are "notoriously inaccurate," but full development will require additional flight tests, an international missile expert said. Since the late 1980s, North Korea has deployed relied on liquid-fuel Hwasong 5 and 6 SRBMs, based on Sovi 2019-10-10
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  Missile expert describes new SLBM as 'another step forward" in pursuit of sea-based deterrent force Pictures carried by North Korea's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun show the test launch of a new submarine launched ballistic missile. SEOUL -- North Korea's new submarine-launched ballistic missile represents "another step forward in the pursuit of a sea-based deterrent force, an international missile expert said, characterizing it as the longest-range solid-fuel missile the nuclear-armed country has tested to date. The North claimed to have su 2019-10-04
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  Kia releases rendered image of next-generation military bulletproof vehicle SEOUL -- Kia Motors, a subsidiary South Korea's Hyundai auto group, unveiled a rendered image of a five ton-class military bulletproof vehicle that would house new technologies to safely transport soldiers and carry firearms. Kia, a major producer of military vehicles, said in a statement on Friday that the company has submitted a proposal to participate in a military project to develop next-generation standard heavy vehicles that would replace 2.5 ton an 2019-09-27
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  KAI's unmanned helicopter makes successful maiden flight SEOUL -- An unmanned helicopter developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the sole aircraft maker in South Korea, made a successful maiden flight in a project aimed at acquiring technologies related to advanced unmanned aerial vehicles. In its test flight in a space center in the southern coastal town of Goheung, the unmanned helicopter named "Night Introduer (NI)-600VT" flew in place and turned left and right to check its fli 2019-09-24