USA bloquea venta de T-50 surcoreanos a Uzbekistán

The United States blocked the sale of the South Korean T-50 aircraft in Uzbekistan

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As the October 25, 2015 South Korean newspaper "The Korean Times", the US government issued a resolution on the South Korean side of the supply Uzbekstanu 12 jet combat training aircraft T-50 cost about $ 400 million.

The preliminary agreement to acquire Uzbekistan 12 South Korean combat training aircraft T-50 was reached in April 2015 during the negotiations of defense ministers of South Korea and Uzbekistan Khan Ming Berdieva Kabul, when the parties signed a corresponding memorandum of understanding. Then Kabul Berdiyev made a "flight" simulator Aircraft FA-50 - "combat" version of T-50. In May issue of the supply of Uzbekistan aircraft T-50 was discussed at the highest level during his visit to Seoul the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.



Production of T-50 aircraft in the company Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in sacheon. 01.02.2013 (c) Korea Aerospace Industries

South Korean military sources, commenting on the US decision to refuse to issue a permit for the sale of the T-50 Uzbekistan, said that this is due, in their opinion, membership of Tashkent in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the close ties between Uzbekistan and Russia, resulting in a "US concerned that the export of the T-50 in Uzbekistan could lead to the transfer of technologies in Russia. " "The US government opposes the deal, citing the possible leakage of technology and diplomatic problems."

However, the purchasing agency Defence Acquisition Programme Agency (DAPA) of the Defense Ministry of South Korea, is also responsible for arms exports, remains committed to continue to engage with Uzbekistan on the possible sale of the T-50. "In spite of the opposition of the United States, DAPA will step up efforts to persuade Washington to approve the deal," - said a South Korean official military spokesman.

Airplane T-50 Golden Eagle was developed by the South Korean unification Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), together with the American company Lockheed Martin, and in all its variants contain a significant amount of American-made systems, including the engine General Electric F404-102 (assembled from kits in the US Samsung Techwin ). Therefore, any export of aircraft T-50 requires the approval of the US government.

In the past few years, KAI has achieved significant success in the export of aircraft of the T-50, to implement them in Indonesia (which received 16 aircraft T-50I in 2013-2014), Iraq (24 aircraft contracted T-50IQ, supply should be started in the spring of 2016) , Philippines (Order 12 FA-50PH aircraft with deliveries starting in late 2015) and Thailand (four aircraft contracted T-50TN for delivery in 2017-2018).