Korean KF-X Fighter Program

[p2prada]

 

[SajeevJino]

EADS sweetens KF-X offering​

With South Korea edging closer to deciding on a contractor for its $7.3 billion KF-X fighter program, a European competitor is dangling a new carrot to its bid.

EADS, based in the Netherlands and part of the consortium that builds the Eurofighter Typhoon, says if the aircraft is chosen to replace South Korea's antiquated F-4 and F-5 fleets, it will invest $2 billion "and its technology in the KF-X to help Korea to become a fighter jet producer."

The announcement follows that of Eurofighter, which promised to assemble 53 of 60 aircraft to be produced in South Korea. It's estimated the local assembly would lead to creation of 50,000 jobs.

EADS has also said it would build a maintenance repair and overhaul facility for the aircraft in South Korea and an aerospace software center.

"If Korea chooses Eurofighter as its next generation fighter jet and EADS invests more than 2 trillion KRW [$2 billion] in the KF-X program, it will bring bigger economic effect than the SURION and Korea will be the fifth country [that] produces Eurofighter, high-level fighter jets," EADS said.

"It will also create strong political and military ties with Europe."

SURION is a Korean utility helicopter developed by Korea Aerospace Industries with technology obtained from Eurocopter, an EADS subsidiary headquartered in France.

"The SURION raised Korea to the 11th helicopter manufacturer in the world," EADS said, and created 25,000 jobs.

In its news release, EADS emphasized its business ties to the country. KAI, it noted, has supplied parts for Airbus aircraft since 1998.

Airbus, located in France, is another EADS subsidiary.

Other competitors for the KF-X contract are U.S. companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Lockheed is offering its F-35 Lightning II fighter while Boeing is offering its F-15 Silent Eagle.

A news report from Seoul says the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration expects to make a final decision on a contractor next June.

"The price negotiations have been completed and we don't plan to have another round of negotiations," DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyeong told a news briefing. "We plan to conduct the auction within June."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency reports the South Korean government has requested possible procurement of weapons in support of a "potential Direct Commercial Sale" of F-15 SE aircraft.

The package, if approved by Congress and if it goes through, would include associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support.

The deal would be worth $823 million.

Among items requested: Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, Joint Directed Attack Munition Tail Kits, small diameter bombs, general purpose bombs, AIM-9X-2 (Blk II) tactical missiles, containers, missile support and test equipment, provisioning, spare and repair parts.

"The proposed sale will provide the ROK with aircraft weapons for the F-15SE," the agency said. "These aircraft and weapons will provide the ROK with a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces."

EADS sweetens KF-X offering

 

[p2prada]

 

[p2prada]

 

[roma]

Engine Propulsion will likely be the difficult one to master. They might opt for F-15 engines to fit in or more advanced versions, for now. It seems there is no internal weapons carriage. Designing new aircraft with internal payload is not a big challenge, that requirment could change in between.
In that case, Co-development with Korea is useless The Best part about Joint development is, tech transfer and help will come in much faster. Whereas the Worst part is Different countries have different requirements ans has to match thier needs
With Korea disagreeing with equal partnership in the development of KF-X, Turkey and Indonesia might face problems matching the requirement or in transfer of technology. Not to forget maintenance. F-35s to replace F-15s whereas KF-X to replace F-4s and F-5s.

nice points - i think india can afford to be a partner in the development with some qualifications to protect ourselves against too much commitment

i agree with you that the project doesnt look too impressive nevertheless i think we can afford and should be a limited partner if we can negotiate an appropriate deal

what india needs is more experience in fighter aircraft design and here is an opportunity

 

[p2prada]

nice points - i think india can afford to be a partner in the development with some qualifications to protect ourselves against too much commitment

i agree with you that the project doesnt look too impressive nevertheless i think we can afford and should be a limited partner if we can negotiate an appropriate deal

what india needs is more experience in fighter aircraft design and here is an opportunity

Their goals are very modest. Their current goal is to build an aircraft equivalent to EF-2000/Rafale in the next 15-20 years. We plan to get such an aircraft in the next 3-4 years.

 

[TrueSpirit]

I understand that S. Korea does not have a massive Mi-Industrial Complex nor enough design experience for frontline aviation, but they do have a mature ship-building industry (in-fact one of the best in Asia, equaling the best in EU). Now, we are ware of how their companies are dominating global markets especially in consumer & enterprise electronics, automobile etc. And, they have no dearth of capital or credit by a long shot. And, they have been operating modern western aircrafts since quite some time.

In view of these facts, I wonder why are they having such modest aims when it comes to their fighter program.

 

[p2prada]

I understand that S. Korea does not have a massive Mi-Industrial Complex nor enough design experience for frontline aviation, but they do have a mature ship-building industry (in-fact one of the best in Asia, equaling the best in EU). Now, we are ware of how their companies are dominating global markets especially in consumer & enterprise electronics, automobile etc. And, they have no dearth of capital or credit by a long shot. And, they have been operating modern western aircrafts since quite some time.

In view of these facts, I wonder why are they having such modest aims when it comes to their fighter program.

The Korean aerospace industry is at the exact same technology level as India is at.

They are just being realistic. At the same time they cannot spend as much as we can to make larger jumps.

The only difference is that with incremental moves like they did with T-50, TA-50, FA-50 and F-50 and moving on to KF-X, they are able to build, test and induct such aircraft within schedule whereas we are hopping, skipping and jumping larger hurdles and not landing properly. Overall, they will build an AMCA at the same time as we will.

T-50 Golden Eagle - Airforce Technology
T-50 is a basic trainer variant, phase 1 of the program and they inducted 100+ as of today, including the attack version called TA-50 which they have exported. F/A-50 is a Tejas Mk1 equivalent aircraft and it has already started production, which is the phase 2 of the program. F-50 is a Tejas Mk2 level aircraft or more in the Gripen NG level instead and is following the Tejas Mk2/Gripen NG timeline for development, which is the phase 3 of the entire T-50 program. T-50 and TA-50 variants are in contention for the American 350-1000 aircraft deal.

T-50's first flight happened in 2002 with induction in 2005. F/A-50's first flight happened in 2011 and induction is supposed to happen this year. F-50 should have a 2020 induction date.

So working in a similar fashion, they will develop the KF-X over three phases starting with a EF/Rafale class and ending up with a AMCA/F-35 class aircraft.

 

[Singh]

S. Korea's fighter jet project becomes two-way race
​

SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- In a last-ditch effort to win South Korea's fighter jet project, two of the three bidders -- Boeing and EADS -- offered proposals below the state budget of 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) during the final bidding on Friday, government officials and industry sources said.

The third company, Lockheed Martin, selling its F-35 stealth jets through the foreign military sales (FMS) program, offered a price higher than Seoul's budget, according to sources, effectively being eliminated from the race to win the country's largest arms procurement deal.

As the bidding process ended, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the jets and officially announce the winner next month.

"As there were companies that offered price within the program budget, we will proceed to the next step," DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyung said in a press briefing, without elaborating the names citing the ongoing procedure.

"Although all jets will be evaluated, aircraft exceeding the budget will not be qualified for the contract," Baek said.

This week's final rounds of biddings were held following a six-week suspension due to all previous sessions ending in a failure when all three aerospace giants offered prices above the 8.3 trillion won budget approved by parliament.

The bidding war illustrated the heightened competition among the world's biggest defense groups as they seek to overcome drastic cutbacks in military spending in the U.S. and Europe.

The cheaper proposals by the two companies came after the DAPA announced that another failure in the bidding may lead to restarting the project from the beginning.

It had said that all options will be considered, such as reducing the number of jets to be bought, buying the jets in installments and increasing the state budget, which could be more beneficial to F-35s, whose biggest hindrance is their high cost.

Initially, Lockheed Martin's F-35s, which are in development for the U.S. military, were seen as a favorite given South Korean Air Force's long pursuit of stealth fighter jets that can pass through North Korea's complex web of radars and given the close relations between the two allies.

However, there was less room for price negotiations as F-35s are sold through the foreign military sales (FMS) program by the U.S. government.

Unlike the other two that make direct commercial sales, Lockheed Martin has offered a bid whose combined prices for each year from 2017 to 2022 exceeded Seoul's budget, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The government-to-government FMS condition requires a foreign government to pay the amount specified by the U.S. government for the F-35s at the time of payment.

Seoul had initially picked a bidder last October with the goal of receiving the first delivery in December 2016, but it postponed the schedule to get the first batch in August 2017 in accordance with the change in the negotiation procedure.

Military officials have expressed concerns over the further delay in the project to replace the aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets, with some of them introduced to the country over 40 years ago.

The DAPA has faced criticism for the delay by conducting biddings for a mix of direct commercial sales and the government-to-government deal.

The agency said it will conduct a comprehensive evaluation with value-added analysis on price conditions, without elaborating details of the assessment criteria.

The price factor accounts for 30 percent of the total score, while the pure procurement cost, excluding life-cycle maintenance and operation costs, occupies a smaller proportion of the selection process. However, the DAPA held its ground that meeting the budget limit is one of the most important requirements for the deal.

The final decision will be made in a meeting of experts and government officials slated for in mid-September. No specific date has been confirmed.

In its bid, Boeing has stressed the interoperability of the F-15 SE with other models purchased in the first two stages of the fighter modernization programs. Seoul has purchased 60 Boeing F-15 fighter jets since 2002.

It doesn't offer the same radar signature reduction as an F-35 and is only optimized for air-to-air combat stealth. What it does offer is greatly improved radar stealth over the F-15K and internal weapons.

While EADS' twin-engine Eurofighter is not equipped with stealth, EADS says measures were taken to reduce the Typhoon's radar cross section, especially from the frontal aspect.

EADS offered an investment of $2 billion in Seoul's plan to build its own fighter aircraft and assemble 53 planes in South Korea to boost its aerospace industry.

If Eurofighter is selected, it will be the first European combat jet deployed by South Korean Air Force.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/08/16/28/0301000000AEN20130816005600315F.html

F-35 Eliminated

 

[lookieloo]

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/08/16/28/0301000000AEN20130816005600315F.html

F-35 Eliminated

Not much to do with KF-X, but probably. In any case, seems that the F-15 has won the F-X III competition. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2013/08/18/82/0301000000AEN20130818001400315F.html We'll have to see what the ROKF-proper has to say about it. Been a DAPA show up to this point.

 

[farhan_9909]

KSA is set to invest 3billion dollars in indonesian aerospace agency

does it mean KSA will fund this project for Indonesia?

 

[gadeshi]

My oppinion is they will never build something viable without extensive foreign help.
But who will give such a help instead of direct sell of their own craft, especially during the crisis...
They want indigenous 5G jet fighter, but would they get what they want is not clear.

Chinese example is the brightest one.

 

[p2prada]

@gadeshi

They are trying to build a 4.5th gen fighter first. Something on the lines of EF-2000, with low RCS and conformal weapons points for 4 missiles.

 

[asianobserve]

EADS Dropped from $7.3 Bn South Korea Jet Fighter Bid: Report
By Agence France-Presse on Tuesday, August 20th, 2013

European aerospace consortium EADS has been eliminated from a bid to provide fighter jets worth $7.3 billion to South Korea due to a failure to meet some requirements, a report said Sunday.

The Eurofighter was dropped from the bid also sought by US company Boeing after the South's military found that the EADS proposal did not meet its key demands, Yonhap news agency said.

It cited an unidentified official at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). A spokesman for DAPA was not immediately available for comment.

"A problem was found in the proposal document of one of two final bidders," Yonhap quoted the DAPA official as saying, adding the troubled bidder was known to be EADS.

"The company in question was deemed unfit (to join the final bid)," the official was quoted as saying.

Seoul is seeking 45 one-seater aircraft and 15 two-seaters. But EADS proposed only six two-seater aircraft, which are costly to produce, due to budget problems, Yonhap said.

It also quoted the estimated budget in British pounds instead of in US dollars as demanded by Seoul, the news agency said.

DAPA will submit the proposal from the remaining bidder for a final review by top military officials, the official added, indicating Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle would be the only candidate.

The contract to replace Seoul's ageing fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets comes as major defence suppliers reel from drastic cutbacks in military spending in the US and Europe.

It was initially sought by EADS and US firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin, but Lockheed Martin has reportedly dropped out of the race.

South Korea's military procurement needs, especially where the air force is concerned, have overwhelmingly been met by US suppliers in the past — a reflection of their close military ties.

But EADS' hopes were raised in January, when Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland beat US defence giant Sikorsky for a $567 million contract to supply six helicopters to the South Korean navy.


Read more: EADS dropped from $7.3 bn South Korea jet fighter bid: Report | Aviation & Air Force News at DefenceTalk

 

[lookieloo]

Oops, looks like the whole thing has blown up in Korea's face.

South Korea rejects Boeing in $7.7 billion fighter jet deal | Reuters

(Reuters) - South Korea voted against Boeing's (BA.N) F-15 Silent Eagle in its 8.3 trillion won ($7.7 billion) tender for 60 fighter jets, the country's arms procurement agency said on Tuesday, saying it will restart the project.

"DAPA...will swiftly pursue the program again in order to minimize the vacuum in combat capabilities," South Korea's Defense Acquistion Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement.

Boeing's F-15 had been the only bid out of three that was under-budget and eligible to win the country's largest-ever defense import deal under South Korean law.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Joyce Lee; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

 

[p2prada]

It was expected considering even the Koreans don't want a single vendor deal. I wonder if other bidders will be allowed in the mix.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with the thread.

 

[lookieloo]

Anyway, it has nothing to do with the thread.

Go cry about it to Singh. vvv
http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/...korean-kf-x-fighter-program-2.html#post778996

 

[asianobserve]

KAI Shows Off Two Designs for KFX fighter

PICTURES: KAI shows off two designs for KFX fighter

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has displayed two conceptual models for the country's proposed KFX indigenous fighter programme at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition.

One model represents KAI's in-house proposal for the programme, while the other represents the ambitions of Seoul's Agency for Defense Development (ADD).

KAI's proposal is for a single-engined aircraft based largely on systems developed for the country's T-50 advanced jet trainer. The company feels that this approach would be more cost effective and draw from its experience with the T-50, which had extensive design input from Lockheed Martin.

The ADD concept is a twin-engined design and would involve considerably more indigenously-developed content.

Both appear to recognise the challenges involved in building a true stealth aircraft. While each bears a passing resemblance to the low observable Lockheed Martin F-35, particularly in regard to the shaping of the intakes and forward fuselage, neither possesses internal weapons bays.

KAI did not state the powerplant for either aircraft, but one source says that it is likely to require similar power to the Pratt & Whitney F100 or General Electric F110, the engines for the F-16 fighter.

Industry sources at the show say that KAI has been actively seeking information on a range of equipment that the KFX would need to be a truly capable fighter jet, including its radar, avionics, mission computers, and other systems.

Although this is the first time KAI has displayed such detailed models at the Seoul show, there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the programme.

To a large degree, Seoul is relying on technology transfer stemming from its F-X III acquisition for 60 fighters to develop indigenous manufacturing capabilities for KFX. Given that F-X III is in limbo following Seoul's decision to re-tender the competition rather than obtain the Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle over the F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon, any decision on KFX is effectively stalled as well.

Another challenge for the KFX programme is the presence of Indonesia in the effort as a 20% partner. While Jakarta is generally an ally of the West, the US government could be dubious about providing advanced technologies to Jakarta through the KFX programme, which will invariably require a large degree of foreign content.

In the event that Seoul decides to move forward with the programme, the Korean air force is likely to obtain 120 examples, with Jakarta to take 80. KAI also hopes to win other export orders for the aircraft.


PICTURES: KAI shows off two designs for KFX fighter

 

[pmaitra]

Re: KAI Shows Off Two Designs for KFX fighter

Looks like an F-22 Raptor, doesn't it?

 

[SajeevJino]

Re: KAI Shows Off Two Designs for KFX fighter

Looks like an F-22 Raptor, doesn't it?

Yeah ..The stealth Coat is only missing ..even these series comes out by AESA too