Latest news with #KoreaAerospaceIndustriesLtd
Korea Herald
23-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Arms agency hold talks on Surion helicopter exports to Iraq during arms fair
South Korea's arms procurement agency said Wednesday it has taken part in a defense exhibition in Iraq and held talks with Iraqi military officials over exports of the South's Surion helicopters. Officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration visited the Middle Eastern country for the International Defense Exhibition from Saturday through Tuesday to promote South Korean weapons systems, according to the agency. In a meeting with Iraq's Defense Minister Thabet Mohammed Al-Abbasi, DAPA officials expressed their willingness to advance growing defense cooperation between the two nations. The Iraqi defense minister was quoted as stressing the need to bolster bilateral cooperation in the arms industry and expressed deep trust in the South Korean arms industry, according to DAPA. In December, South Korean defense firm Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. signed a 136 billion-won ($95.3 million) deal to export Surion helicopters to Iraq by March 2029, in what marked the first export of the homegrown chopper. The Surion, also known as the Korean Utility Helicopter, is a medium-sized utility helicopter that has been deployed in the South Korean Army since 2012. (Yonhap)
Arab Times
05-03-2025
- Arab Times
Rescuers find Philippine fighter jet's wreckage and bodies of 2 pilots deployed to fight rebels
MANILA, Philippines, March 5, (AP): Rescuers found the wreckage of a Philippine fighter jet and the bodies of its two pilots on Wednesday in a mountainous region in the country's south where they had been deployed on a nighttime mission to fight communist guerrillas, military officials said. The FA-50 jet lost communication during the combat mission with other air force aircraft after midnight Tuesday before reaching a target area in southern Bukidnon province. The other aircraft were able to return safely to an air base in central Cebu province after carrying out assaults, military officials said. The FA-50 jet was deployed with other air force aircraft to provide combat support to troops battling dozens of suspected New People's Army guerrillas near Cabanglasan town in Bukidnon, the military said. "It was a total wreck,' regional military commander Lt Gen Luis Rex Bergante said of the fighter jet's wreckage, which he said was found by Filipino special forces in a jungle on Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon. A regional military spokesperson, Lt Col Francisco Garello, said without elaborating that the bodies of the two air force pilots were found near the wreckage. Pilots can eject from the supersonic jets in case they encounter any problems but the Philippine air force said it remained unclear if the two pilots aboard the FA-50 ejected as it plummeted. It was also not immediately clear what caused the crash of the supersonic jet, which was acquired by the Philippine government from a South Korean company about a decade ago. An investigation was underway, the air force said. The rest of the country's 11 FA-50s were grounded following the incident, according to the Philippine air force. The Philippines acquired 12 FA-50s multi-purpose fighter jets starting in 2015 from South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. The 18.9 billion peso ($331 million) contract had been the biggest under a military modernization program that has been repeatedly stalled by a lack of funds. The Philippines has plans to acquire another 12 fighter jets from South Korea. The military estimates about 1,000 communist guerrillas remain after decades of battle setbacks, surrenders and factional fighting. Peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed under previous President Rodrigo Duterte after both sides accused the other of continuing deadly attacks despite the negotiations.
Boston Globe
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Philippine forces find wreckage of missing fighter jet and the bodies of its 2 pilots
'It was a total wreck,' regional military commander Lt. Gen. Luis Rex Bergante said of the fighter jet's wreckage, which he said was found by Filipino special forces in a jungle on Mount Kalatungan in Bukidnon. A regional military spokesperson, Lt. Col. Francisco Garello, said without elaborating that the bodies of the two air force pilots were found near the wreckage. Advertisement Pilots can eject from the supersonic jets in case they encounter any problems but the Philippine air force said it remained unclear if the two pilots aboard the FA-50 ejected as it plummeted. It was also not immediately clear what caused the crash of the supersonic jet, which was acquired by the Philippine government from a South Korean company about a decade ago. An investigation was underway, the air force said. The rest of the country's 11 FA-50s were grounded following the incident, according to the Philippine air force. The Philippines acquired 12 FA-50s multi-purpose fighter jets starting in 2015 from South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. The 18.9 billion peso ($331 million) contract had been the biggest under a military modernization program that has been repeatedly stalled by a lack of funds. The Philippines has plans to acquire another 12 fighter jets from South Korea. The military estimates about 1,000 communist guerrillas remain after decades of battle setbacks, surrenders and factional fighting. Peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed under previous President Rodrigo Duterte after both sides accused the other of continuing deadly attacks despite the negotiations. Advertisement In 2023, the government and the communist rebels agreed to resume talks aimed at ending one of Asia's longest insurgencies. But the talks still have not restarted under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Aside from anti-insurgency operations, the jets have been used in a range of activities, from major national ceremonies to patrolling the disputed South China Sea.
Fox News
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Philippine fighter jet carrying 2 pilots goes missing during mission against insurgents in southern province
A Philippine air force fighter jet carrying two pilots went missing during a night combat assault in support of ground forces who were battling insurgents in a southern province, officials said Tuesday. The FA-50 jet lost communication during the tactical mission around midnight on Monday before reaching a target area. A search for the jet is underway. "We are hopeful of locating them and the aircraft soon and ask you to join us in prayer during this critical time," Philippine air force spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said. The other aircraft involved in the mission returned safely to an air base in central Cebu province, the air force said, without offering further details due to security reasons. The incident happened in a southern Philippine province during an anti-insurgency mission against communist guerrillas, a Philippine military official told The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear if the other FA-50s would be grounded after the incident. The Philippines acquired 12 FA-50s multi-purpose fighter jets from South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. for 18.9 billion pesos, or $331 million, beginning in 2015. The acquisition was viewed at the time as the biggest deal under a military modernization program that had been repeatedly stalled by a lack of funds. In addition to anti-insurgency missions, the jets have been used for various other activities, including major national ceremonies and patrolling the disputed South China Sea.
Boston Globe
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
A Philippine fighter jet and 2 pilots are missing on a mission against insurgents
Advertisement 'We are hopeful of locating them and the aircraft soon and ask you to join us in prayer during this critical time,' air force spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said. The pilots could eject from the supersonic jets in case they encounter any problem that could lead to a crash. Rescuers could locate them if their emergency locating transmitters emitted signals. Castillo refused to say if rescuers have detected such signals but added that the military is 'still very optimistic that they are safe.' It was not immediately clear if the rest of the FA-50s would be grounded following the incident. The Philippines acquired 12 FA-50s multi-purpose fighter jets starting in 2015 from South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. The 18.9 billion peso ($331 million) contract had been the biggest under a military modernization program that has been repeatedly stalled by a lack of funds. The Philippines plans to acquire another 12 fighter jets from South Korea. The military estimates about 1,000 communist guerrillas remain after decades of battle setbacks, surrenders and factional fighting. Peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed under previous President Rodrigo Duterte after both sides accused the other of continuing deadly attacks despite the negotiations. In 2023, the government and the communist rebels agreed to resume talks aimed at ending one of Asia's longest insurgencies. But the talks still have not restarted under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Advertisement Aside from anti-insurgency operations, the jets have been used in a range of activities, from major national ceremonies to patrolling the disputed South China Sea.
