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S.Korea considers importing spy aircrafts from US

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-22 14:00

SEOUL-- South Korea is considering purchasing the "Global Hawk" aircraft from the United States as early as 2015, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency said.

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2009 , file photo The Global Hawk, a version of the US Air Force's top-of-the-line unmanned spyplane. Capable of staying aloft for more than 30 hours, the computer-controlled, high-altitude drone is best known for its surveillance role in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been used to monitor wildfires in the United States.[Agencies]

During their high-level military talks held earlier this month, the US said it was willing to sell some of its Global Hawks to South Korea between 2015 and 2016, Yonhap said.

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"The US decided to sell Global Hawks as we repeatedly requested the sales," a South Korean source told the media, adding South Korea was requested to submit a proposal for the purchase.

South Korea has been initially planning to buy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as Global Hawks, by 2011, which was delayed due to the weakening local currency.

"The US decision to sell Global Hawks to South Korea attests to the trust built in the alliance between the two countries," the source was quoted as saying by Yonhap.