SEOUL (Transatlantic Today) – South Korea has recently secured its largest arms export deal ever with UAE, agreeing to sell the Middle Eastern hub mid-range surface-to-air missiles in a deal that’s worth $3.5 billion. This mid-range surface-to-air missile system — known as Cheongung II — is set to bolster the UAE’s air defense capabilities and will likely lead to increased cooperation between the two countries.
In fact, in a recent press release, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, “The UAE is the first foreign nation to operate the Cheongung II.” The Administration went even further, saying that the deal would bring “mutual trust” between the countries and could serve as a “watershed moment,” hinting at more defense cooperation in the future. Officials seem to think that this arms deal will improve the relationship between the two countries.
Indeed, it’s largely possible that South Korea is taking advantage of this opportunity to both export arms. Just last month, the country agreed to export their Huntsman AS9 self-propelled artillery system to Australia. However, it also seems that the country is trying to have a cooperative relationship with UAE.
Professor Kim Jong-dae of Yonsei University told UPI News Korea, “The UAE is trying to modernize its military. Toward that end, the country appears to be proactively cooperating with South Korea. Hence, defense exports to the UAE are expected to continue.”
Late last year, UAE publicly announced its plans to purchase these missiles, and the impending deal will make UAE the first international recipient of the defense system. The Cheongung II was designed as a replacement for South Korea’s MIM-23 HAWK defense system; as such, the new system possesses what’s called a “hit-to-kill technology,” can intercept ballistic missiles, and includes four launchers for a total of 8 missiles.
According to the Yonhap news agency, this preliminary deal was preceded by discussions between South Korean President Moon Jae-Kim and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai. Reportedly, they discussed defense cooperation. On an official week-long trip to the Middle East, President Moon is expected to spend three days in UAE.
While the deal is still in its preliminary phase, it seems that working cooperation between South Korea and UAE is in the future. And if South Korea continues to export other defense systems — and they likely will — they may initiate tentative cooperation with other states as well.