Korea Airports Corporation Exports Domestic Tactical Navigation Equipment to India

A scene of on-site inspection and technical evaluation with representatives from India's Tata Group and the client.

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Korea Airports Corporation announced on the 8th that it has signed an export contract for aviation safety equipment to deliver the tactical navigation equipment and distance measuring equipment developed by the corporation to Indian Air Force and Navy airfields.

The corporation was finally selected as the equipment provider in the Indian military airfield modernization project commissioned by the Indian Ministry of Defense, recognized for the quality and price competitiveness of domestically developed aviation safety equipment. It plans to install a total of 90 units of aviation safety equipment, including 33 units of the corporation's tactical navigation devices and 57 units of distance measuring equipment, at 37 Indian military bases by 2024.

To conclude this export contract, the corporation conducted dozens of negotiations, technical meetings, and on-site verifications over three years from 2019 to this year. With the support and cooperation of government agencies such as the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (Europe-Asia Cooperation Officer) and KOTRA (India New Delhi Trade Center), it secured final approval from the Indian Ministry of Defense.

Tactical navigation equipment serves as a lighthouse for air routes by providing aircraft with azimuth and distance information, acting as a core facility for aircraft operation control. In a market that had been entirely dependent on foreign-made equipment, the corporation succeeded in domesticating the tactical navigation equipment system in 2016, becoming the third in the world after the United States and France through independent research and development. Currently, equipment installation has been completed or is underway at 14 military bases of the Republic of Korea Air Force and Navy, as well as 9 domestic aeronautical radio beacon stations.

Son Changwan, President of Korea Airports Corporation, said, “We have achieved the export of aviation safety facilities to India, a military power, recognizing the technological and functional excellence of the equipment beyond domestic production that previously relied on overseas imports. We will continue research and development and expand overseas advancement to widely promote Korea’s aviation technology and the corporation’s reputation for aviation equipment.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.