Bradley Perrett covered China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. He is a Mandarin-speaking Australian.
Before joining Aviation Week in 2006 he was a macroeconomics, politics and aerospace journalist with Reuters. Perrett holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Macquarie University, Sydney. He left Aviation Week in 2020.
Korean Air is close to taking over Korea Aerospace Industries, consolidating the country’s aircraft-building sector into a single company. The airline, which has its own aerospace division, has long expressed an interest in buying its rival, and almost stitched up a deal to do so in 2003. Since major shareholders of Korea Aerospace are now willing to sell, a takeover looks likely — but not inevitable. Management, labor and political opposition could yet get in the way.
A supercruising combat aircraft is a high priority of the Chinese navy, the country’s top admiral says in a revealing official interview that gives strong clues of perceived shortcomings and future directions for the maritime force. Adm. Wu Shengli also says China must step up work on precision missiles that can overcome enemy defenses, and the nation should move faster in developing large combat surface ships—probably meaning the aircraft carrier program that looks increasingly imminent (AW&ST Jan. 5, p. 22).
