Seoul's Swashbuckling Air Show

Stealth fighter-bombers, fighters, missiles, torpedoes and tanks were among the technologies on display

Air Show 2007 was an awesome display of the defense industry? modern technology in terms of airplanes and high-tech weapons such as missiles and tanks.
The sixth air show held at Seoul Airport from Oct. 16-21 displayed defense industry products from 256 companies from 26 countries around the world, making it the largest defense industry exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region.
The inaugural show in 1998 was designed to spur the development of Korea? defense and space industries. The international event took place in 2001, 2003, and 2005.
Korean Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), an airplane production company, displayed its supersonic trainer airplane T-50, nicknamed Golden Eagle.The plane is the first supersonic airplane manufactured in Korea using Korean technology.
The plane is equipped with a digital control system and digitally controlled engine with a hard body frame. KAI is in talks with a United Arab Emirates company to sell the planes and the outcome will be known sometime this month.
KAI also displayed its Woongbi KT-1 basic trainer aircraft, a military aircraft developed in Korea. The company also plans to complete the development of the night Intruder 300,an unmanned surveillance plane, whose model was shown at the air show, along with that of the KUH, a Korean-type helicopter to be fully developed by 2012.
The air show also displayed various ground weapons. Rotem unveiled the KIAI tank, developed for the Korean military, as well as a bridge tank, a rescue tank for damaged tanks and armored personnel carriers.
Doosan Infracore showed off its K-1 armored personnel carriers for foot soldiers and the honma air missile launcher for potential foreign buyers.
Samsung Tech One, a maker of the K-9 self-propelled gun, displayed its K-10 ammunition transport armored vehicles and aircraft engines. The K-10 and K-9 are supplied to Korean Army artillery units. The self-propelled guns can shoot six shells per minute.
Also on display were such military hardware as missiles, torpedoes and guided weapons produced by LIG Nex1 Co. The company focused on its Haesung ship-to-ship missiles and its Blue Shark anti-submarine torpedoes to attract foreign buyers.
The U.S. Boeing exhibited the F-15K fighter plane and its brand new Apache helicopter AH-64. Also shown was the KF-16 fighter plane, whose engines are produced by Pratt & Whitney. Both fighters are used by the Korean air force. Other American-made fighter planes on display included the F-15C and F-16C.
Lockheed-Martin showed a number of stealth fighter bombers such as the F-22 and F-35 and other next generation stealth fighter planes.
The Korean Navy? anti-submarine aircraft P-3C and armored vehicle, K-9 self-propelled guns and K-21 tanks joined other military hardware at the show.
A number of European defense industrial companies participated, including Saab of Sweden and Tales of France, and displayed various planes and military hardware. nw

(photos from left) A F-15 fighter plane in flight by Korean air force at Air Show 2007 held at Seoul Airport Oct. 16-21.: A Lookheed-Martin fighter plane on display at the air show.: A Korean helicopter on display at the air show.: A K1A1 tank developed by Korean defense industrial firms at the air show.