Along with the recent purchase of 40 F-35’s from Lockheed the Koreans are also partnering with them to develop their own domestic fighter:
South Korea on Monday selected Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and partner Lockheed Martin for a multi-billion-dollar contract to develop 120 “indigenous” fighter jets to replace Seoul’s ageing fleet.
The bid from KAI and the US aerospace giant, which is subject to a screening process before being officially approved, was always seen as the favourite for the 8.6 trillion won ($7.8 billion) deal over a rival bid by civilian carrier Korean Air (KAL) teamed with Airbus.
The Defence Ministry also approved a separate $1.28 billion deal to buy Patriot PAC-3 missiles and upgrade its air defence system aimed at intercepting North Korean ballistic missiles.
The KF-X fighter project is designed to develop and produce 120 fighter jets of a new, indigenous type to replace South Korea’s ageing fleet of F-4s and F-5s. [AFP]
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