10:28 PM
S Korea bows to US pressure, pulls out of China airshow
SOUTH Korea on Wednesday scrapped its plan to send a pair of supersonic military jets to a Chinese airshow next week, citing pressure from the US.
The South's air force had planned to dispatch T-50 trainers to the November 11-16 air-show in China's southern city of Zhubai, as part of a military exchange between the two countries, a defence ministry spokesman said.
But the plan was cancelled at die last minute following consultations between South Korea anditskey military ally, the United Slates, he said. "We decided to cancel our partiupalion in the Chinescair show after the US cited its law concerning exports and trade of key US military technology," the spokesman said, explaining that core technology used in the aircraft came from the US.
"South Korea maintains a mutual defence pact, and we need US consent about some military issues,' he added.
T-SO is South Koreas first homegrown supersonic aircraft jointly developed by Korea Aerospace Industries and US defence giant Lockheed Martin.
After developing it into combat and multi role variants, Seoul has sought to open up new markets for military exports beyond Southeast Asia, Europe and South America.
The South's air force had planned to dispatch T-50 trainers to the November 11-16 air-show in China's southern city of Zhubai, as part of a military exchange between the two countries, a defence ministry spokesman said.
But the plan was cancelled at die last minute following consultations between South Korea anditskey military ally, the United Slates, he said. "We decided to cancel our partiupalion in the Chinescair show after the US cited its law concerning exports and trade of key US military technology," the spokesman said, explaining that core technology used in the aircraft came from the US.
"South Korea maintains a mutual defence pact, and we need US consent about some military issues,' he added.
T-SO is South Koreas first homegrown supersonic aircraft jointly developed by Korea Aerospace Industries and US defence giant Lockheed Martin.
After developing it into combat and multi role variants, Seoul has sought to open up new markets for military exports beyond Southeast Asia, Europe and South America.
Posted in: News 2014
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