Text Fwd: Seoul to dispatch troops to UAE 서울, 유나이티드 아랍 에미레이츠에 군대 파견 계획

* Image source: Global Research. click HERE

* Image source: Japan Focus (click HERE)

Middle East states that have discussed bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements since 2008

* Image source: Japan Focus (click HERE)

___________________________________________________

Korea Times
11-03-2010 17:00
Seoul to dispatch troops to UAE
By Jung Sung-ki

Korea plans to dispatch about 130 troops to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next year as part of efforts to establish closer defense ties with the Middle Eastern nation, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.

The plan was discussed during a policy coordination meeting in Seoul, a ministry spokesman said. Defense Minister Kim Tae-young and ruling party lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly Defense Committee attended the session, he said.

The troop dispatch plan comes after Seoul won a landmark $20 billion contract last December to build four nuclear reactors in the UAE.

Before the contract was announced, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young flew to the Middle East country twice to support the contract and discuss bilateral defense issues.

Kim and his UAE counterpart reportedly signed a closed-door agreement on specific defense cooperation measures, including the dispatch of Korean troops.

UAE military leaders also asked for the troop dispatch when they visited Seoul earlier this year, the spokesman said.

The local contingent will help train UAE troops and protect Korean nationals there from any possible terror attack, he added.

“A motion for the troop deployment will be presented in the Assembly’s regular session,” he said. “Once approved, the deployment could be possible early next year.”

The UAE military is interested in Korea’s operational skills and training methods, such as the battlefield Military Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES), harbor protection systems and pilot training.

The armed forces of the UAE, officially called the Union Defense Force, consist of 65,000 troops, and are headquartered in Abu Dhabi. It is a federal military force and is primarily responsible for the defense of all seven emirates.

Korea has 650,000 troops and is supported by 28,500 U.S. forces. The troops are being equipped with high-tech weapons under the Defense Reform 2020 modernization program.

An official at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said a closer military relationship with the UAE could help exports of Korean weapons systems.

Seoul is seeking to boost its defense exports to nations in the Middle East and Africa.

Last year, the UAE selected Italy’s M-346 trainer jet as the preferred model for its trainer acquisition program.

But both sides have failed to finalize the deal, so there is a possibility that the UAE will reopen talks with officials over the sale of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer.

Seoul is also trying to sell its K-9 self-propelled howitzer to the UAE.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

________________________________________________

See all the blogs on United Arab Emirates

Monday, December 28, 2009
Text Fwd: Korea, UAE Seek Closer Defense Ties

Monday, December 28, 2009
Text Fwd: Landmark nuclear power plant deal sounds energy alarm within South Korea

________________________________________________

Some excerpts from previous blogs

Friday, April 30, 2010
Text Fw: Propaganda about PAC-3 from Pro-MD organization

Excerpt

Last week MDAA had the honor to visit and interact with our nation's men and women in uniform at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; home of the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery (ADA) School. This school teaches all current and soon to be deployed air defense soldiers who are stationed with the 13 Patriot battalions deployed in support of U.S. missile and air defense throughout the world; most prominently in the Middle East and East Asia. Fort Sill runs courses for Patriot operators and maintenance crews ranging in length from 8 to 30 weeks. The ADA school trains approximately 1,500 to 2,000 U.S. soldiers a year, as well as several hundred soldiers from Israel, Germany, Japan, South Korea,United Arab Emirates and other allied nations that have Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, March 18, 2010
Text Fwd: S. Korea, Japan Can Build Nuclear Weapons Quickly

Excerpt

The 2008 report categorized South Korea, Taiwan and Japan as three "threshold nuclear states" that have the capability to develop nuclear weapons rapidly, should their political leaders decide to do so.

South Korea is recognized globally as a pioneer in the study of the "pyprocessing" method aimed at reprocessing spent fuel without extracting weapons-grade plutonium from it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, January 7, 2010
Text fwd: [Exclusive] S. Korea to Transfer UAV, Missile Technologies to UAE

Excerpt

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.

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.

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).