, South Korea's chief defense procurement official headed to Washington on Sunday (Jan.7) on a mission to promote the sale of his country's newly developed supersonic trainer jet, defense officials said.
South Korea, which developed its first supersonic trainer jet T-50 in 2005, plans to begin mass-production in February, each priced at $20 million.
South Korean officials are encouraged by reports in May that the U.S. Senate's armed services committee directed the U.S. Air Force to study whether it should buy the South Korean-made trainer jets to replace its aging and cost-inefficient T-38 models.
South Korea hopes that this week's trip by Lee Sun-hi, commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), will help publicize its highly efficient, lost-cost trainer jet in the U.S. and other markets.
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“Commissioner Lee plans to meet with several U.S. officials including Kenneth Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, and Richard Lawless, deputy undersecretary of defense for Asia and Pacific affairs, to discuss a possible deal,” a DAPA official said.
Lee will also discuss with U.S. officials South Korea's plan to purchase the U.S.-made state-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Global Hawk, said the official, requesting anonymity.
“South Korea needs Global Hawks as part of its efforts to increase its surveillance capabilities against North Korea,” he said.
Lee's visit to the U.S. is the first as head of the South Korean defense procurement body, which was born a year ago. He is scheduled to return home on Jan. 14.
