Korea may have to scrap the lucrative sale of T-50 trainer jets to Uzbekistan due to U.S. opposition.
| The T-50, like most other advanced trainer jets, is also a decent light attack aircraft. |
A government source on Friday said Korea Aerospace Industries had been in negotiations with the Uzbek government to sell 12 T-50s, but the U.S. government opposes the deal citing possible technology leaks and foreign-policy concerns. The deal could have netted Korea some US$400 million.
But since KAI developed the T-50 with technological support from Lockheed Martin of the U.S., and most core equipment including avionics and engine are U.S.-designed. That means Seoul needs the nod from Washington if it is to sell them overseas. Korea has already sold the T-50 to Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines and Thailand.
But Uzbekistan is a murky dictatorship on ethnic lines and the U.S. is also worried that it could ratchet up tensions with neighboring countries if it bought the jets.
| And provide the technology to the Rooshuns... |
The Defense Ministry, Air Force and Defense Acquisition Program Administration were eager to export the T-50s to Uzbekistan. In May President Park Geun-hye and Uzbek President Islam Karimov discussed the issue during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, and in April the Uzbek defense minister visited Korea and signed a memorandum of understanding on military exchanges.
At the time he also sat in a T-50 simulator.
A KAI spokesman said, "The U.S. government did not approve the exports, but Uzbekistan still wants the delivery so we will try to convince Washington." |