South Korea expands its alliance blend in Mideast
Boosting military ties with Israel & trade with UAE
South Korea’s ties get more interwoven in the Middle East as it aims to increase its military cooperation with Israel while it stationed its first contingent of troops the in the UAE.
According to a report published by the Haaretz on Wednesday, South Korea has an interest to boost its military cooperation with Israel by obtaning advanced weapons' systems and technology to empower its military capability and preparedness in case of a war outbreak with North Korea.
The military deals between the two countries stood at $1.25 billion in 2010, and the figure is expected to be on the rise. It is estimated that two-third of the total $1.25 billion is Korean exports to Israel, and the remainder is mainly Israeli defense exports to south Korea.
Last October, Israel Aerospace Industries signed two huge deals for radar systems with Korea. One of the systems is used to identify the launch of missiles and the other is installed in fighter aircraft as part of the upgrading of South Korea's fleet of fighter jets.
Negotiations are underway also over the possibility that the Israel Air Force to buy a South Korean trainer jet, the T-50.
South Korea which has recently increased its budget on defense by 25 percent, is to receive fighter planes as part of developing its air defense capability against North Korea.
UAE and S Korea ties
On Monday South Korea has deployed its first contingent of troops in the UAE for a two-year stint.
UAE’s is South Korea’s second-largest oil provider and now has 130 South Korean special forces commandoes to train and conduct joint exercises with its forces .
The reason given for the dispatch of the South Korean forces is to follow the selection of a South Korean-led consortium to build four nuclear power plants in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi.
Late 2009, South Korea won a landmark deal, mostly coveted by the U.S. and French rivals, to build and operate four nuclear reactors for the UAE.
The deal’s figure is around $40 billion, and is considered Middle East's biggest energy contracts ever.
The UAE will have the first nuclear plant in the Gulf Arab and is scheduled to start supplying power to the UAE grid in 2017.
South Korea has also a $130 million worth of a nuclear deal with Jordan.
Meanwhile, Israel has accused North Korea of providing weapons of mass destruction to six countries in the Middle East that ignored arms-control commitments.