S.Korea to increase gov't support for development of weapon components

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Korea will increase government support for the domestic development of weapon components, the arms procurement agency said Monday.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced its 2023-2027 roadmap to domestically develop arms components by offering financial support to local companies.

Under the support program, selected firms can receive up to 75 percent of research and development costs for the homegrown weapon parts.

The scope of state support would range from carbon fiber for advanced aircraft to metal alloy in gas turbine engine and raw materials in high-performance explosives for guided weapons, according to Yonhap news agency reports.

With the roadmap, the country aimed to nurture 100 small firms specializing in arms components and localize the production of weapons parts by 80 percent.