To accelerate the nation's exports of military equipment, DAPA has already concluded MOUs with 22 countries and plans to include five more countries in the MOU list this year, Kim Jung-il, commissioner of DAPA, said in a recent interview with the Korea IT Times.
"In a bid to promote and diversify exports of Korean-made military articles, the DAPA divided the export target countries into the three parts - advanced countries in defense industry, developing countries and East European countries - and mapped out proper export strategies according to characteristics of the each part," Kim said Related to this, the DAPA has been pushing ahead with dispatching DAPA officials in charge of cooperation in the defense industry to the five areas, including Asia, Middle East and Latin America, this year, he said.
The DAPA is also planning to hold international conferences for cooperation in the defense industry with 15 countries this year. It already organized such meetings with Australia and Britain, he said, adding that the nation's major export strategic items are K-9 self-propelled guns, tanks, submarines, war vessels, T-50, and KT-1 trainers.
"In particular, a growing number of foreign countries have keen interest in T-10. Accordingly, we are exerting best efforts to export the military article from the nation's dimension," said the DAPA commissioner.
"All in all, the DAPA has been going all-out to explore new export markets and promote international cooperation in the defense industry through expansion of defense industry cooperation pacts with foreign countries, operation of the joint committee for cooperation in the defense industry and active support for companies participating in the defense industry exhibitions," he said.
DAPA sets 2006 export target at $1 billion
The DAPA has set the target of its exports of military articles in 2006, the first year of its overseas shipments, at $1 billion. The nation's defense industry, which started from rock bottom has now been equipped with the ability to directly produce and export such military articles, including K-9 self-propelled guns, tanks, submarines, war vessels, T-50, and KT-1 trainers, to foreign countries.
To promote exports of such weapon systems as self-propelled guns, tanks, submarines, and war vessels as well as relevant parts, the DAPA has divided the export target countries into three parts and propelled proper export strategies according to characteristics of each part.
National defense acquisition projects
In the meantime, the DAPA has been actively pushing for national defense acquisition projects.
In particular, the DAPA plans to invest a total of 1.6 trillion won ($1.6 billion) during the period from 2006 to 2013 in the project to build an airborne early warning control system in the nation.
The project is designed to effectively cope with the rapidly changing military strategic environment and bolster the competitiveness of the domestic defense industry.
Among the national defense acquisition projects are the development of a Korea-type helicopter system, construction of the ground tactics C41, and a mass-production of T/A-50 airplanes. Asked about the management philosophy, Kim said that the DAPA is a government organization to acquire national military weapon systems, manage research & development business, and actively foster the defense industry.
"As the DAPA spends about 8 trillion won ($8.3 billion) out of the nation's total defense budget every year, it is very important to use the valuable budget in a transparent and effective way," said the DAPA commissioner.
To carry out the national defense acquisition business successfully through transparent and effective methods, reformminded DAPA officials are making a strong push for introduction of advanced and scientific systems, including an integrated administrative reform system, based on reform-minded attitude, he said.
The integrated administrative reform system refers to a system combining a government business management system, a customer management system, a compensation system and a result management system into one.
Meaning of inauguration of the DAPA
The inauguration of the DAPA is the outcome of the most concrete and realistic reform task among major subjects for national defense reform propelled by the Participatory Government.
In the past, eight institutions, including the Ministry of National Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Procurement Headquarters, had dealt with weapon system acquisition and procurement businesses. Accordingly, its restraining function gradually disappeared, some businesses were duplicated and decisionmaking systems were complicated, touching off problems in keeping consistency of business and distinguishing responsibility limits.
Accordingly, the government launched the DAPA by integrating dispersed and duplicated organizations and introducing transparent and effective structures.
To improve professionalism of DAPA officials, meanwhile, the administration has conducted various educational programs for them. For instance, it opened a short-term educational program for 1,500 DAPA officials during the March-April period and a night special training course for 300 officials in charge of the business management during the April-May period.
The DAPA also plans to identify 17 officials this year and dispatch them to advanced countries, including the United States, Britain and France, to let them attend special training programs and obtain advanced business skills in the national defense acquisition and procurement businesses. The DAPA was established on January 1, 2006 to improve defense readiness programs, procure military articles, and enhance the defense industry.
The establishment of the DAPA enables the acquisition of quality weapon systems in a timely and most cost-efficient manner.
Simultaneously, increased transparency in national defense acquisitions protects against corruption, Kim said.
"Furthermore, with customer-oriented defense acquisitions, public trust will increase. The streamlined system saves tax money for people, enables businesses to offer the best possible administrative services, and provides the military with state-of-the-art equipment in time," he said.
The DAPA is committed to the principles of transparency, efficiency, and professionalism to secure competitiveness, maximize the defense R&D, and solidify the foundation for cooperative self-reliant defense.
It ensures that external experts are engaged in the decisionmaking process of major projects through the Defense Acquisition Program Execution Committee, which is aimed at strengthening the internal and external monitoring system and establishing a transparent acquisition system.
"We also introduce integrated project teams to pursue and manage projects by immediately identifying and correcting potential problems. In addition, we hope that knowledge- based management cuts costs, shortens the acquisition lead-time, and enhances performance, which are the underlying principles of acquisition reform," the DAPA head said.
"Our innovative employees also institute an advanced and scientific system, including an integrated administration innovation system designed to lead in implementing national defense reforms and in providing optimal services for both the public and military" said Kim.
Close cooperation with companies engaging in defense industry
In the past, the government instructed, intervened and controlled companies engaging in the defense industry unilaterally with a superior position.
However, the DAPA will seek close cooperation with companies engaging in the defense industry to help them grow into a strategic national industry under the joint target of achieving self-reliant defense through development of the defense industry and attaining increase of welfare through expansion of overseas exports, the DAPA chief said.
"We will pursue future-oriented partnership with companies engaging in the defense industry by strengthening cooperation not by unilateral and vertical relationship but by two-way communication," Kim concluded.
저작권자 © Korea IT Times 무단전재 및 재배포 금지
