S. Korea to give used landing craft to Indonesia: official

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea agreed Tuesday to provide for free a set
of 10 decommissioned amphibious landing craft to Indonesia to consolidate ties
between the two nations, an official here said.

Indonesia is South Korea's largest Southeast Asian defense trade partner. Defense
trade reached nearly US$1 billion last year, according to an official at South
Korea's Ministry of National Defense.
The LVT7A1s, which South Korea's Navy stopped deploying last year, will be
transfered next month on South Korea's largest landing ship, Dokdo, the official
said, speaking under the customary condition of anonymity.
"Following the delivery, the Dokdo will join a defense exhibition in Indonesia in
early December," the official said.
The planned transfer of the craft, purchased from the U.S. in 1985 and capable of
carrying about a dozen soldiers each, comes after Indonesia's Navy chief visited
Seoul last year, the official said.
"The officer was looking for vehicles that can help transport troops and conduct
landing missions," the official said.
South Korea has been pushing to export submarines to Indonesia, which could in
turn provide transport aircraft. South Korea has also sought Indonesian support
in protecting its commercial vessels plying the Southeastern Asian waters from
pirates.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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