Egypt signs deal with Korea Aerospace Industries to manufacture warplanes

CAIRO – 1 December 2022:  Egypt signed an agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to manufacture a new warplane, on Thursday, announced the state-owned Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) in a statement.

"The agreement was reached in light of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to localize technology and increase the proportions of the local component and added value in the various defense industries," said AOI chairman Mukhtar Abdel Latif said.

Abdel Latif added that the deal aims to localize the technology of manufacturing an advanced training aircraft to be used by the armed forces, or exported to the African and Arab countries.

According to the deal, both sides will exchange experiences and the human cadres will be trained in the AOI on manufacturing and maintenance work.

Chief Executive Officer of the Korean company Yeong Kang said that he is looking forward to strengthening aspects of partnership with the AOI in many other defense industries.

In February 2022, Egypt’s Minster of Defense Mohamed Zaki attended a signing ceremony of two MoUs of military cooperation between Egypt and South Korea, as well as the signing of a contract with South Korea’s Hanwha Defense to jointly manufacture the EGY k9A1 howitzer.

The two MoUs stipulated cooperation in the fields of defense industries and logistic support, and the regulatory principles of cooperation in the defense research and progress field.

As per the cooperation contract, EGY k9A1 howitzers will be manufactured locally in the factories and companies of the National Authority for Military Production in cooperation with Hanwha Defense, according to the statement. According to the office of President Moon Jae-in in Seoul, South Korea reached an arm deal worth $1.6 billion to provide K9 self-propelled howitzers to Egypt.

According to the president’s office, this is South Korea’s biggest export contract for the K9 howitzer.