South Korea's arms procurement agency said Tuesday it has been in discussions with the Iraqi government to sell its T-50 supersonic trainer jets to the Middle Eastern country.
A team of Iraqi government delegates is scheduled to visit South Korea next month for "working-level negotiations" on price and other details, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a report to the National Assembly.
The possible deal with Iraq was "gathering pace in April this year, when Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki expressed interest in buying the T-50 during a visit to South Korea," the report said.
The Iraqi prime minister visited Seoul in late April for talks with President Lee Myung-bak to enhance economic cooperation between the two nations.
In the report, the DAPA said it will take a flexible stance in negotiations with the Iraqi delegation, adding Iraq could be allowed to pay for the trainer jets with crude oil if it chooses to buy the aircraft.
Iraq plans to buy 24 trainer jets and deploy them by 2015, according to the report. Britain's Hawk and the Czech Republic's L-159 are potential competitors to the T-50, it said.
DAPA officials declined to elaborate further.
South Korea signed a formal deal worth US$400 million with Indonesia in May to sell 16 T-50 trainer jets to the Asian country, marking its first export of the aircraft.
South Korea first unveiled the T-50 in 2005 after developing the supersonic jet jointly with U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin, making the country the world's 12th supersonic jet producer.