MBDA and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) have signed an agreement to deepen cooperation. The agreement will see the companies explore new opportunities for the integration of new MBDA weapons onto KAI platforms and the export of both together via a joint marketing approach. The agreement was signed on Monday 20th November by Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, and Kang Goo-young, CEO of KAI, in London during a Korean State visit to the UK. MBDA is already committed to working together with KAI to complete successfully the integration of MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile on the KAI-led KF-21 Boromae fighter aircraft. Examples of new areas of co-operation being explored under the new agreement include the integration of new MBDA weapons such as SPEAR, ASRAAM, and Brimstone onto KAI platforms such as KF-21 and FA-50, and the export of the above platforms and missiles.
Kang Goo-young, CEO of KAI, said: “Recently, there has been growing global demand for various armaments. We will work with MBDA to propose enhanced domestic fighter aircraft to our customers.”
Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, said: “The combination of MBDA’s world leading weapon products and technologies with KAI’s proven record of new aircraft development and rapid delivery is an exciting prospect for the world defence market, reflecting the shared values and interests of both parties.”
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is a South Korean aerospace and defense company. It was originally established as a joint venture of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries’ aerospace division, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company (HYSA). KAI has developed various aerospace products, including the Korea Space Launch Vehicle(KSLV)-II and various satellites. It has been involved in the production of several foreign-designed aircraft via licensing arrangements, such as the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, MBB Bo-105 KLH, and the KF-16. KAI has also developed and produced its own aircraft designs, including the KT-1 Woongbi and T-50 Golden Eagle training aircraft, the KC-100 Naraon general aviation aircraft, and the KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter. Both the company’s headquarters and several key manufacturing facilities are located in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.
MBDA is a unique multi-national European group, a world-leader in the field of complex weapon systems, playing a key role in keeping nations safe. Created in the spirit of international cooperation, MBDA and its 14,000+ employees work together to support the national sovereignty of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, and their allies worldwide. As an accelerator for innovation, MBDA is the only European group capable of designing and manufacturing complex weapons to meet the full range of current and future operational requirements of the three armed forces (land, sea and air). It was created in December 2001 after the merger of the main French, British and Italian missile systems companies; Matra, BAe Dynamics and Alenia. These were previously the missile subsidiaries of Aérospatiale-Matra (merged into EADS, now called Airbus), BAE Systems and Finmeccanica (now Leonardo).
