FIGHT READY
To fend off the steady barrage of missiles targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and civilian areas, Kiev urgently needs more air defense, Han Kwon-hee of the Korea Association of Defense Industry told AFP.
“Counteroffensives require stability in the rear zones, which is why Kiev has also carried out drone strikes inside Russia, including Moscow,” Han explained.
“They will help Ukraine fend off Russian offensives by intercepting drones and missiles flying deep into their territory,” he said – a huge boost for Kiev, in addition to the recent US initiative to have US long-range missiles used against targets in Russia .
The South has remained combat-ready since the 1950-53 war with the North ended in a ceasefire, and while Hanwha Aerospace, South Korea’s largest defense contractor, was once seen by analysts as retrograde for its focus on land weapons, it now in great demand.
AFP saw a wide range of weapons moving along assembly lines at the company’s sprawling Changwon factory, from armored infantry vehicles to surface-to-air missile systems designed to intercept incoming missiles.
Increased geopolitical tensions in Europe have heavily benefited the South Korean company, which saw its year-on-year operating profit rise by more than 450 percent in the last quarter to $343.3 million.
It has signed major arms deals with countries such as Poland and Romania, including the export of K9 howitzers and Chunmoo missile systems.
Leave a Reply