, SEOUL: South Korea on Monday launched an international research and development facility for the production of rotary aircraft as part of its efforts to help the country build indigenous helicopters, the Ministry of Science and Technology said Monday.
The R&D hub is aimed at spurring the development of rotary aircraft, an area that is expected to boost the country's exports and emerge as a future growth industry.
The ministry said in July that it will provide 500 million won to 1 billion won (US$538,800 to $1.08 million) every year for a maximum of seven years so the country can gain first-hand technology related to the design of rotary aircraft.
The hub can also support the development of the so-called Korea Helicopter Project (KHP), aimed at supplying both utility and attack aircraft for the military.
The KHP project, a joint project with Eurocopter, envisions the unveiling of a prototype model in 2008, with test flights planned for 2010. Mass production is expected to commence after 2012.
The hub, built in Seoul's Konkuk University, will be tasked with expanding foreign cooperation in this field and fostering greater expertise in helicopter technology.
It will also have branch research centers for foreign rotary aircraft companies, such as CASE, ONERA and DLR.
If all goes according to plan, the R&D center will be able to come up with its own design for a helicopter by 2016.
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