EGYPT SEEKS S. KOREAN HOWITZER

[Anchor Lead]

Korea's defense businesses are stepping up their advancement to the Middle East and Africa. They drew a lot of attention at a recent defense expo in Egypt. The Egyptian military is looking to acquire South Korea's K9 Thunder Self-Propelled Howitzer and related talks are underway.

[Pkg]

EDEX 2021, held recently in Cairo, Egypt is the largest defense expo in Africa. It drew some 350 defense companies from more than 40 countries, including 14 South Korean firms. Korea's self-propelled howitzer, the K9, grabbed particular attention. It was painted in sand color to attract local customers, as most of Egyptian territory is covered with deserts. Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi personally stopped by the K-9 pavilion to learn more about the product.

[Soundbite] "The K-9 self-propelled 155mm, 52-caliber howitzer."

Boasting a firing range of up to 40km, the K-9 can fire six rounds per minute and operate at 67km per hour even in deserts and snow fields. So far, 600 K-9 howitzers have been exported to six countries including Turkey, Poland, India and Finland. Currently talks are underway to export it to Egypt. If the deal is signed, it will be the first time the K-9 is being sold to the Middle East and Africa.

[Soundbite] Ahn Byung-chul(Hanwha Defense) : "We developed the K-9 self-propelled howitzer using our exclusive technologies."

A K-2 battle tank manufacturer with experience in exporting subway trains to Egypt hopes to start shipping tanks as well in the long-term.

[Soundbite] Seo Jun-mo(Hyundai Rotem) : "We believe our reputation is good because of the train export deal we made before. Interest in subway cars is quite high in Egypt."

Korean SMEs specializing in next-gen gas masks and cyber security also participated in the expo. The homegrown Cheongung-II missile is soon to be exported to the UAE. All eyes are on whether Korean weapons will be able to establish a presence in Egypt, the world's third largest weapon importer.