Turkish SME Exports R&D to South Korea
Conducting various projects in Ankara Ostim (Organized Industrial Zone), METU Technopolis, Istanbul, Bursa and İzmir, Figes Engineering signed an international agreement with the South Korean Aviation Company KAI during the ICDDA Ankara Industrial Cooperation Days in Defence and Aerospace that took place on14-16 July 2014. Figes’ Chairman of the Board Dr. Tarık Öğütçü, Figes General Manager Mr. Koray Gökalp, KAI Vice President Mr. Bong Keun LEE, Chief of Industrial Cooperation & Offset Team Aircraft Marketing Division of KAI Mr. Jaenam LEE and many distinguish guest attended the ceremony.
Figes General Manager Mr. Koray Gökalp extended information regarding the scope of the agreement during the ceremony and pointed out that an SME is conducting aerospace design and R&D export for the first time in Turkey and continued “static analysis and design of the compartment into which the engine will be embedded will be accomplished by Figes within the scope of this program. We are planning to complete the first phase in a period of 24 months and the size of the phase will be 3 million US Dollars”. Mr. Gökalp said that their talks with KAI on the analysis and design of dynamic-vibration included in this program continued for the future term following the completion of this phase.
Within the scope of the development of Light-Armed Helicopters (LAH) and Light-Civil Helicopters (LCH) program, South Korean Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) assigned KAI to undertake the program in July 2014. The Light-Civil helicopter was originally intended to be developed with a foreign partner. It will be used especially for Maritime Surveillance and transportation tasks. The first lot of LCHs are planned to be delivered and included in the South Korean army’s inventory in 2020. KAI Company is still in search of a foreign partner and the company is known to be negotiating with AgustaWestland, Airbus Helicopter, Bell and Sikorsky to this end.
