Tag: ROK Air Force

Does any ROK Heads have any good names for this new ROK fighter jet?:

The Air Force has launched a naming contest for the country’s next-generation fighter jet under development, officials said Friday.

South Korea is building the first prototype jet for the KF-X project after its design was confirmed last year, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

Through Oct. 30, South Koreans can submit suggestions for the new fighter with an explanation on how they represent the new jet’s mission. 

The winner will be given a model aircraft with an award from the Air Force chief of staff, officials said. 

Under the KF-X project worth 8.8 trillion won (US$7.5 billion), South Korea has been working since late 2015 to develop a homegrown cutting-edge fighter aircraft to replace the Air Force’s aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest on South Korea’s acquisition of the Global Hawk surveillance aircraft:

Two more units of the Global Hawk high-altitude unmanned aircraft are expected to arrive in South Korea this month, sources said Thursday, a move expected to further boost the country’s surveillance capabilities against North Korea and beyond.

Their planned arrival comes after South Korea brought in its first RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft in December last year. Under a 2011 deal, Seoul purchased four from the United States.

Air Force officers and the manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, have been working to bring in two additional units within this month, though the exact schedule is subject to change, according to the government sources. One remaining unit is also expected within the first half, they added.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but this sale has been in the works since 2003 because of the delays caused by concerns that technology and information would be leaked to North Korea.  Now with the US wanting the ROK to take on more of their defense responsibilities the sale was approved and hopefully whatever concerns of technology leaks has been mitigated as well.

Here is an example of a unique ROK Air Force unit:

The Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing is emerging as a symbol of South Korea’s growing independent military capabilities, with its combat fleet consisting only of domestically developed warplanes, officials said Sunday.

The unit in Wonju, Gangwon, has two operators of the FA-50 fighter – the 103rd Fighter Squadron and the 203rd Fighter Squadron – and the 237th Tactical Control Squadron running the KA-1 airfield control aircraft.

The FA-50 is a light-attack fighter based on the design of the T-50 trainer jet manufactured by the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the country’s sole aircraft maker. 

Armed with AIM-9, AGM-65G and other missiles, the plane can conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground operations.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

I wonder how long it will be before these F-35’s are in a photo op flying over Dokdo?:

South Korea will acquire two stealth fighters from the United States in late March, allowing the country to fly the latest fifth-generation aircraft in the world, sources said Sunday.

The two F-35A jets will arrive in Seoul, and they will likely be assigned to combat units that defend the country starting in April or May, several insiders familiar with the matter said.

South Korea has agreed to purchase 40 F-35As in a 2014 contract. The jets are designed to evade detection and have the latest electronics suite that can allow them to be effective even in well defended airspace. A single plane is reportedly priced at around 120 billion won (US$107.5 million). Korea may buy 20 additional F-35s as the Air Force has requested more assets.

Korea Times via a reader tip

You can read more at the link.

A330 MRTT, a South Korean Air Force first aerial refueling tanker, lands at an Air Force base in Gimhae, about 450km southeast of Seoul, on Nov. 12, 2018. The tanker, built by Airbus Defence and Space, will undergo various tests for about one month before being deployed for its operations. (Yonhap)

This image released by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on June 29, 2018, shows the design of South Korea’s indigenous fighter jet KF-X program aimed at manufacturing 120 advanced fighter jets to replace the Air Force’s aging F-4 and F-5 combat planes. South Korea plans to complete the design process by Sep. 2019 and produce the first prototype in 2021. (Yonhap)

Condolences to the families of the two ROK pilots killed in this tragic crash:

An Air Force jet crashed into a mountain in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, 216 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Thursday, killing two pilots, the Air Force said.

The military initially said both ejected from the jet safely. No civilian damage was reported. The crash site is close to a golf course.

The crashed jet was an F-15K that was returning to an Air Force base in Daegu after an airstrike exercise. The crash happened at 2:47 p.m.  [Korea Times]

Considering that the two pilots did not eject whatever happened, happened extremely fast before they could react and eject.  Yonhap News has identified the two pilots as  Capt. Choi, aged 29, and 1st Lt. Park, 27.  Fortunately no civilians were killed on the ground.