Original title: South Korea uses the air show to promote arms exports, voices of doubt repeatedly
According to Yonhap News Agency, on October 23, the “2021 Seoul International Aerospace and Military Industry Exhibition” ended. This exhibition exhibited a variety of advanced military equipment, such as stealth fighters, missile interception systems, and hydrogen-fueled drones. .
“Seoul International Aerospace and Military Industry Exhibition” started in 1996 and has been held every two years since 2001. This exhibition lasted from October 19th to 23rd. On the opening ceremony, South Korean President Moon Jae-in took off from Suwon Air Force Base on a domestically produced fighter aircraft FA-50, passed the Cheonan Independence Hall, Dongjak National Hyeonchungwon and Yongsan War Memorial, and finally arrived at Seoul Airport. As a result, Moon Jae-in became the first South Korean president in history to fly a Korean-made fighter jet in the airspace.
South Korea’s “Daily Daily” said that with the spread of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the scale of this exhibition is still the largest ever, attracting 440 companies from 28 countries to participate, and exhibiting 79 types of air and ground cutting-edge weapons. equipment. The number of exhibiting companies increased by 10 compared to 2019, and the scale of the indoor exhibition hall was expanded by 5%.
It is reported that this exhibition includes indoor exhibitions, outdoor exhibitions, demonstration flights and equipment demonstrations, seminars, and project negotiations. Among them, the indoor exhibition mainly displays drones, spacecraft, simulators, land and sea weapons and related equipment. The outdoor exhibition mainly displays the latest fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters and civilian aircraft, as well as land-based equipment such as tanks, self-propelled artillery, and armored vehicles. According to reports, in order to attract overseas customers, South Korean defense company LIG Nex1 exhibited military and civilian products such as the Korean Global Positioning System (KPS), large cargo drones using hydrogen fuel cells, and long-range artillery interception systems. South Korean defense contractor Hanwha Systems mainly showcased laser weapon systems that respond to the threat of small aircraft such as drones, as well as multi-function unmanned vehicles that can realize automatic driving and remote control, and perform various tasks on the battlefield.
The South Korean News works website commented that the South Korean Air Force, Army, and leading Korean military industry companies such as Hanwha Group and LIG Nex1 hope to demonstrate South Korea’s autonomous defense capabilities by exhibiting autonomous vehicles, drones and other weapon systems that meet future battlefield needs. Show the future development direction of South Korea’s military industry.
Analysts pointed out that South Korea is still holding the “Seoul International Aerospace and Military Industry Exhibition” on a large scale in the context of the spread of the epidemic, and Moon Jae-in took a domestic fighter jet to the scene to “help out”, revealing the following intentional considerations.
Promote the export of military weapons. The Blue House pointed out that this is the second time Moon Jae-in participated in the “Seoul International Aerospace and Military Industry Exhibition” after a lapse of four years, showing his intention to help promote overseas exports of military products. Under the circumstances that the economic situation is not optimistic, South Korea held this exhibition to attract overseas customers to increase foreign exchange income and create jobs.
Show the achievements of national defense construction. After taking office, Moon Jae-in, who was born in the Special Operations Command, focused on “building a strong defense force.” South Korea’s defense budget exceeded 50 trillion won (approximately 273.1 billion yuan) for the first time. Moon Jae-in said at the opening ceremony of this exhibition: “I hope everyone can see the real achievements of the rapid development of South Korea’s defense forces.”
Seek the status of an aviation power. South Korea’s Defense Agency said on October 20 that the country is formulating a strategy to develop and acquire the world’s highest level of weapon systems. Moon Jae-in proposed that South Korea should move from a “fast pursuer” to a “future leader” in its defense industry, and it would become the world‘s seventh largest aviation power in the early 1930s.
Regarding South Korea’s large-scale holding of the “Seoul International Aerospace and Military Industry Exhibition”, some media have voiced doubts.
South Korea’s YTN TV website stated that South Korea needs to rely heavily on overseas technology and parts to build a high-performance military aircraft. In addition, the South Korean Air Force’s “Black Hawk” aerobatic demonstration team completed demonstration flights of a variety of aircraft at this exhibition. During the exhibition, the low-altitude flight generated loud noise, which caused complaints from the surrounding areas. The U.S. Breakthrough Defense website stated that Moon Jae-in’s successive participation in large-scale military exhibitions and other activities may intensify the arms race in Northeast Asia and have a negative impact on improving relations between North Korea and South Korea.
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