Gyeryong: Senior Air Force officials from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) held talks Tuesday on defense cooperation, focusing on South Korea's Cheongung air defense system and the KF-21 fighter jet. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-su and Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al Shamsi, commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, met at Lee's office in Gyeryong, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee pledged to support the UAE in successfully operating the Cheongung-II system, which the country purchased in 2022. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding to hold regular talks between their armed services. On Wednesday, the officials plan to sign a letter of intent for comprehensive cooperation on the KF-21, which is currently being produced and is scheduled for delivery to South Korea's Air Force next year.
Under the preliminary agreement, the UAE Air Force will observe air drills involving the KF-21 and visit South Korean units that will operate the fighter jet. Brig. Gen. Azzan Ali Abdulazeez Alsharhan Alnuaimi, commander of the UAE's Air Force Warfare Center, will board a KF-21 prototype for a test flight during the signing ceremony at an air base in Sacheon, about 290 km south of Seoul.
Al Shamsi will also meet with Defense Acquisition Program Administration Minister Seok Jong-gun to discuss arms industry cooperation before departing for the UAE on Thursday, according to the Air Force.