South Korea formally announced on Wednesday that it would buy 40 F-35A jets from US defense contractor Lockheed Martin in a deal that includes transfers of technology for the development of the nation’s own advanced fighter jet.
South Korea picked Lockheed Martin’s F-35A as the sole choice for its air force’s new fighter jet in November last year and has since been negotiating the terms of the deal.
On Wednesday, South Korean Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo called a meeting of top military procurement officials to approve the purchase, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said in a news release.
Photo: EPA
South Korea was expected to pay 120 billion won (US$115 million) per aircraft and has set aside a total of US$7 billion for its so-called FX-III project of upgrading to fighter jets with radar-evading stealth capabilities, South Korean news media reported, citing anonymous government sources. South Korea hopes to deploy the F-35A between 2018 and 2021.
The deal, which has yet to be signed, includes undisclosed terms for technological transfers from Lockheed to help South Korea’s US$8.2 billion KF-X program to develop its own advanced fighter jet, the procurement agency said.
The agency said its negotiations had also involved the US government, whose approval is often needed for technology transfers, suggesting that the deal had already received the US government’s blessing.
South Korea hopes to build a fighter jet similar to Lockheed’s F-16 “Fighting Falcon,” but with twin engines and improved radar and other combat capabilities. It has plans to produce 120 such jets for its air force, beginning in 2025. With the KF-X project, the nation also hopes to join the ranks of major arms exporters, selling aircraft to countries that cannot afford high-end US jets like the F-35A, for cost and other reasons.
Korea Aerospace Industries and the aerospace division of the Korean Air airline have been vying to win the KF-X deal.
The government plans to choose the winner by the end of the year.
South Korea first announced its KF-X plans in 2001, but the program has suffered repeated delays because of budget constraints. To disperse the financial risk and lower the unit cost, it has enlisted Indonesia as a partner in the jet project.
South Korea began its FX-III program to quickly renew the air force’s aging fleet. Lockheed’s F-35A won in a contest against Boeing’s F-15 “Silent Eagle” — an upgraded version of the F-15K model that South Korea already owns — and Eurofighter’s Typhoon.
Traditionally, South Korea has bought most of its military aircraft — and all of its fighter jets — from the US, which keeps 28,500 troops in the country. However, it has recently tried to diversify beyond US suppliers and encourage domestic production.
South Korea reportedly aims to accelerate its defense industry in the same way that it built its export industries in shipbuilding, car manufacturing and electronics: by first acquiring technological knowledge from foreign exporters, then reworking or improving on the technology.
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