South Korea picks Airbus for US$1.3B military plane purchase
by The Associated Press
Seoul's Defence Acquisition Program Administration said Airbus edged out other bids to provide South Korea its first tanker aircraft
SEOUL—South Korea has decided to buy four military airborne refuelling tankers from European aerospace giant Airbus Defence and Space for $1.3 billion.
Seoul’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration said that Airbus edged out bids from the U.S. Boeing Co. and Israel Aerospace Industries in the competition to provide South Korea its first such tanker aircraft.
South Korea says the tankers will let its fighter jets cover larger areas within North Korea should war break out between the rival Koreas. Midair fueling will also allow South Korean jets to carry heavier ammunition and equipment.
Seoul says the four A-330 MRTT tankers from Airbus will arrive from 2018 to 2019 and will be able to fuel every type of fighter jet in the country’s air force.
