SEOUL, Oct. 19 (BNA): A biennial defense fair kicked off in Seongnam, south of Seoul, on Tuesday, providing an in-depth look at the latest military equipment such as stealth aircraft, advanced interceptors and hydrogen. Drones.
The five-day Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at the Seoul Air Force Base comes amid ongoing regional tensions from evolving threats to North Korea and growing competition between China and the United States.
This year’s edition is expected to provide a rare opportunity for defense companies at home and abroad to assess progress in the arms industry and explore business opportunities, as the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered their in-person exchanges, the South Korean news agency reported. Yonhap).
Organizers said the 2021 fair will feature 440 companies from 28 countries, including 171 from abroad. It represents the largest number of participating companies since the exhibition was launched in 1996.
Among the items on display are large hydrogen-fueled drones, virtual reality-based training systems, laser weapons systems and multipurpose unmanned vehicles, as well as dozens of military aircraft, such as the FA-50 fighters and KT-1 core trainer aircraft.
The radar-evading F-35A, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp., has been detected. , to the public for the first time since the warplane was first delivered to a South Korean Air Force unit in 2019. During the 2019 exhibition, an as many as the stealth fighter was shown.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. The MQ-1C Gray Eagle combat drone. Capable of high-precision surveillance, the drone is known to carry four air-to-ground anti-armor missiles.
ADEX features ground-based weapons as well, including K-2 battle tanks and K-9 howitzers.
ADEX showcases a wide range of devices that can be applied in other areas, including space development and urban air movement as well.
Hanwha Aerospace Co. has showcased a real 75-ton thruster, the same model installed in the country’s domestic space rocket, Nuri, which will be launched Thursday at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, 473 kilometers south of Seoul.
LIG Nex1 has unveiled its hydrogen-powered cargo drone, currently in development to carry 200 kilograms of freight, to be launched by 2025.
The organizers added that about 20 international seminars and conferences will be held on the sidelines of the exhibition.
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