◀ Anchor ▶
A red light has come on for the upward trend of K-Defense, which was on a roll achieving large-scale export last year.
Europe has launched a full check, and Japan is joining the global defense industry by seeking to revise its defense guidelines for exports.
Reporter Jeong Young-min reports.
◀ Report ▶
The UK has been pursuing a project to introduce new self-propelled artillery since five years ago.
The scale of the project was expected to be around 116 self-propelled guns and KRW 1.3 trillion.
Korea has been competing with Germany by collaborating with local defense companies and launching a version of the K9A2 that has a fully automated turret.
However, the UK chose the new German ‘RCH 155’ self-propelled howitzer, which is more expensive than the K9 self-propelled howitzer.
At a similar time, France, the world’s second-largest defense producer, unusually began checking Korean-made weapons.
French President Macron even held a press conference and said that European defense industries should be developed rather than Korean ones.
[이준곤/건국대 방위사업학과 겸임교수]
“Ever since the war between Russia and Ukraine, the defense industry in Europe has continued to band together. (K Weapon) It is not a matter of performance, but only a deep political and diplomatic issue at play.”
To make matters worse, Japanese defense companies, which had been silent, are entering the global defense market in earnest.
Following the export of four air defense radars to the Philippines last year, Japan is also working with the UK and Italy to jointly develop a 6th generation fighter jet with the aim of fielding it in 2030.
Competition with the domestically developed KF-21 fighter seems inevitable.
If the defense guidelines are revised to allow the export of lethal weapons to conflict zones, the risk factors for the ‘K-Defense Industry’ appear clear.
Experts advise that beyond fast delivery and price competitiveness, we must now move forward to solidify the defense industry market through technological advances and joint development strategies with European defense companies.
This is Youngmin Jeong from MBC News.
Video comment: Han Sang-cheol/Gyeongnam
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