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By Jung Sung-ki
The South Korean Air Force is looking to deploying indigenous KF-X ``semi-stealth'' strike fighters after 2018 to replace its existing KF-16 fleet, a military source said Tuesday. The Air Force Studies and Analyses Wing, in charge of force improvement plans, held a close-door meeting in March and made an interim decision on operational requirements for the KF-X fighter, the source told on condition of anonymity. Basic requirements call for a F-18E/F Super Hornet-class aircraft equipped with 4.5-generation semi-stealth functions, a domestically-built active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a 32,000-pound of engine thrust and fully integrated weapons and sensors systems, he said. The KF-X aircraft would be either a single-engine fighter or a twin-engine one, he added. It is the first time that KF-X operational requirements have been revealed. Previously, it was estimated that the KF-X aircraft would be an F-16-class aircraft stealthier than either Dassault's Rafale or the Eurofighter Typhoon but not as stealthy as Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Striker Fighter (JSF). ``A consensus has been reached on the KF-X requirements among the Air Force, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff,'' the source said. ``The plan will be submitted to the presidential office soon for approval as part of the military's 2010-14 force improvement package.''The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) commissioned a six-month feasibility study on the KF-X program in April to a private research institute, he said. A DAPA public affairs officer said a final decision on the KF-X program would be decided by November or December after a feasibility study.In a bid to improve the country's fighter development technologies, the Air Force wants to build an indigenous AESA radar for the KF-X aircraft, based on accrued technologies from Israel, the source noted. He was apparently referring to the service's decision earlier this year on equipping the FA-50 light attack aircraft with Israel's EL/M-2032 mechanically scanned array radar. The Air Force is also considering installing the 100-kilometer-range Israeli radar on KF-16 fighters as part of aircraft modification efforts, according to sources.Initiated in 2001, the KF-X program aimed to develop the so-called fifth-generation stealth fighter by 2020, in partnership with a foreign aircraft manufacturer, deploy about 120 units and sell more globally, separate from the multi-phase F-X fighter acquisition project for 120 high-end strike fighters. The program appeared to have received a boost under the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration, which puts a high emphasis on developing ``self-reliant'' defense capabilities.But the fate of the KF-X has been controversial in recent years due to technological and financial constraints. In late 2007, the Korea Development Institute, a state-funded think tank, concluded the KF-X would be nonviable economically. It said the program would cost at least $10 billion but could be expected to reap only $3 billion in economic benefits. Some defense analysts have also raised questions on technological aspects of the KF-X. Major foreign bidders for the KF-X include Boeing of the U.S., the European consortium of EADS and Sweden's Saab, the source said. ``Technology transfer will be a key element in selecting a foreign KF-X partner,'' he said. Among the bidders, Boeing is the most active in offering technology transfer options, he noted, adding the U.S. aircraft giant is proposing to offer the basic platform of the F/A-18 Super Hornet and other 4.5-generation fighter technologies.
8 comments:
why not just simply buy typhoon or rafale both are better than f18e
anyway japan and s.korea are so handicapped even if they want to buy except from US, then US doesn't allow them to buy from someone else if that hardware is available from US
even if certain hardware is hell costly and available from US then japs and koreans have to buy only from US no exceptions
when israel wanted to sell its AWACS to skorea, then israelis were thrown out and opted for US stuff
koreans even bought used US army apache at cost of $ 33 million each
and now if f18e/f available then they have no exception they have to buy this aircraft whether they want to buy or don't want to buy this aircraft
same thing happend with f15 procurement which costed $ 100 million US each and had no aesa radr but only apg63(v1) pulse doppler radar and rafale and tyhpoon were thrown out even if they offered much more and rafale costed less than f15
f-16 one of the best entry level multi role aircraft in the world
and so was mirage2000-5,
and so is gripen,gripenNG
Boeing has already developed a 'Stealth F15'. Since Korea already operates the F15. I would bet money that Korea and Boeing will partner to build this plane. And despite the above negative comments. Why would'nt Korea fly US. jets when the Koreans and Americans will be fighting side by side against the North Koreans. Safe bet the Swedes and French will sit this fight out.
Anonymous i dont think so ,gripen does not have the endurance/payload of f-16 and mirage 2000 is costly and is more of a air to air fighter than a true multirole.
to pankaj
30 f16 blk52 turkey bought for $ 1.78 billion isn't cheap either costing $ 60 million per aircraft
and turkey already has f16 infrastucture and trained personned and has licensed produced f16 and despite this it cost them so much
now india bought 40 more su30mki for $ 2.2 billion and each aircraft cost $ 55 million
india already has su30 infrastucture and trained personned and has licensed produced mki like turkey did with f16
so tell me which aircraft is cheaper and better
and yes gripen NG will be equally good at payload of 6 tons and comparable operating range and AN AESA RADAR
Let's not compare today's fighters with ROKAF's future needs. Is not the role of a fighter to achieve air supremacy?... and the way to do that in 10 - 30 years time is as part of a networked information grid. Look at what the F35 offers and scale that to KFX rather than looking at speed, fuel, weapons, radar etc
ok f35 is stealthy,and this discussion is about semi stealthy fighter which s korea want
so better don't discuss f35 here becoz requirement is for semi stralthy fighter where rafale,f18e,typhoon comees in
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