It was not announced which South Korean defense company would be carrying out the depot-level maintenance of the Chinook’s T55 turboshaft engines, but a Hanwha Aerospace spokesperson reportedly said that the company is the only one in-country with the facilities and expertise capable of doing the work.
The Defense Department in particular has been keen to build up military space ties with its allies and partners in Asia in the face of China's rapid buildup of its own space capabilities, including the development of technologies that could hold US and allied space assets at risk in a regional conflict.
The Sixth Domain is not defined by geography. It’s a new kind of conflict in which autonomy and networked systems allow thousand-dollar consumer electronics to destroy multi-million-dollar conventional weapons systems.
Underpinning KAI's plan is an overall goal of reducing the company’s dependence on Korean government procurement and to increase sales in the export market.
Both nations will host annual technology forums, starting later this year, on specific topics. The first will focus on space domain awareness.