By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

Korea promised to transfer technology for its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following its successful bid to build four nuclear reactors in the Middle East nation, a government source said Thursday.

Defense Minister Kim Tae-young made the commitment during his visit to the UAE in November to discuss bilateral defense issues as well as to support the landmark $20 billion deal, the source told The Korea Times.

Kim also offered to provide key arms technologies related to the homegrown Hyunmoo ballistic and cruise missiles to the UAE as part of efforts to expand defense cooperation between the two countries, he said on condition of anonymity.

Technology on an electromagnetic pulse bomb (EMP) is among the key items for cooperation promised by Korea, said the source.

The state-funded Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has been pushing to develop the bomb capable of neutralizing an enemy's command-and-control, communications and defense radar systems.

EMPs can severely disrupt electronic equipment, which is susceptible to damage by transient power surges. An EMP attack is generated by a very short, intense energy pulse or high-altitude nuclear blast.

The agency plans to complete the development by 2014.

"The UAE asked Korea to provide such key arms technologies as part of the package deal for the reactor contract," the source said. "Korea's positive response to the request played an important role in sealing the deal."

Speculation has been growing after the agreement that there could have been some behind-the-scene promises to satisfy the UAE needs. At that time, Seoul's defense ministry declined to elaborate, only saying the two sides exchanged views on ways to expand bilateral defense cooperation programs.

As for the UAV, Korea will offer the technology on the Night Intruder-300, also known as RQ-101, built by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), according to the source.

KAI built the RQ-101 corps-level battlefield-reconnaissance UAV between 2001 and 2004. The Korean Army bought five sets of RQ-101s, with each set including six aircraft, a launcher and a ground-control station.

KAI is also discussing the sale of the RQ-101 to Libya.

The RQ-101 has a service ceiling of 4.5 kilometers and a cruise speed of 120 to 150 kilometers per hour. The 215-kilogram aircraft has a service radius of 200 kilometers and can operate for up to six hours in the air.

The UAV is capable of multipurpose operations to perform missions like wide area surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, bombing guidance, battlefield supervision and checking target break-down. It is also possible to transfer real-time images, especially in unfavorable environments during day and night.

Some observers say, however, potential exports of the RQ-101 to either the UAE or Libya could cause a political or diplomatic row between South Korea and Israel given the ground-control station for the UAV was developed with technical assistance from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

IAI offered the technology when it sold its Searcher II UAVs to South Korea.

Referred missile technologies are related to those for the 300-kilometer-range Hyunmoo-II ballistic missile and the 1,000-kilometer-range Hyunmoo-III surface-to-surface cruise missile developed by the ADD and LIG Nex1.

The Hyunmoo-III missiles have been operational with the Army since last year. The Hyunmoo-III can hit targets with a margin of error of plus or minus five meters aided by a Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) system.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr



UAE에 무인기, 미사일 기술 제공

한국이 UAE에 원전수출과 관련한 국방 협력 사업의 일환으로 무인기 기술을 제공하기로 약속한 것으로 확인됐다.

정부 소식통에 따르면 김태영 국방장관은 지난 11월 UAE방문시에 이 문제를 논의한 것으로 알려졌다.

김장관은 당시 현무 미사일과 개발중인 EMP폭탄 기술 제공도 협의한 것으로 밝혀졌다.

소식통은 "UAE측이 원전수출과 연관시켜 기술 제공을 요청했으며, 한국측의 긍정적인 반응이 원전수출에 중요한 역할을 한것으로 안다"고 전했다.

UAE원전 수출 이후 일각에서 물밑 협상이 있었을 것이라는 관측이 제기되어 왔다. 국방부는 양측이 국방협력 확대문제를 논의했을 뿐이라고 밝힌 바 있다.

한국측은 한국우주항공산업이 (KAI) 개발, 배치한 RQ-101 무인기 관련 기술을 제공할 것으로 점쳐진다.

RQ-101은 지난 2001년과 2004년 사이에 육군의 군단급 무인기로 개발, 배치됐다. 현재 육군이 5기를 군단급 정찰임무로 사용 중이다.

KAI는 RQ-101의 리비아 수출도 타진 중이다.

RQ-101은 4.5 킬로미터 상공에서 시속 150 킬로미터의 순항속도로 6시간 가량 임무를 수행할 수 있다. 작전반경은 200 킬로미터이다.

일각에서는 RQ-101의 지상통제 장비가 이스라엘과의 기술협력으로 개발된 점 때문에 향후 이스라일이 문제를 제기할 소지가 있는 것으로 지적되고 있다.

소식통은 한국측이 ADD와 LIG Nex1이 개발한 사정거리 300 킬로미터의 현무II 탄도미사일과 최근 양산배치된 1,000 킬로미터로 사정거리 현무III 순항 미사일 기술 역시 제공하기로 약속했다고 말했다.

현무-III는 지난해부터 육군에 배치되고 있으며 지형대조방식 (TERCOM) 기술 등을 이용해 오차범위 5미터의 정확도를 갖고 있는 것으로 알려져 있다.