South Korea may revive development program for stealth fighter jets

[chex3009]

The military is considering developing its own stealth fighters by 2020 to counter North Korea's military threats more effectively, according to media reports Monday.

Under a multi-billion-dollar project, codenamed "KF-X," Seoul plans to develop indigenous, multi-role fighter jets by 2020.

However, the military is shifting the focus of the project to building stealth fighters in the wake of North Korea's Nov. 23 artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island that killed two marines and two civilians.

"The basic concept of the program is being changed to develop a stealth fighter to evade the enemy's radar systems," Yonhap reported, quoting a military source. "The concept has been taking more concrete shape since the artillery attack."

At a time when North Korea's missiles and nuclear threats are growing, there has been a common understanding within the military that it should develop a stealth fighter to deter and cope with these.

"If our military has stealth fighters, it could put significant psychological pressure on the North Korean leadership," the source said.

Initiated in 2001, the KF-X program had originally been aimed at developing and producing by 2020 about 120 fifth-generation fighters stealthier than Dassault's Rafale or the Eurofighter Typhoon, though not as much as Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightening II.

Officials said earlier that they were reconsidering introducing the fifth-generation stealth fighters due to technical and budgetary problems.

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 the technological aspects of the KF-X.

In a related move, the nation could delay the purchase of foreign stealth fighters under the F-X multi-phase fighter procurement program.

The F-X aims to buy 120 high-end fighter jets by 2020 in an effort to modernize the Air Force's fleet. Boeing won two previous deals in 2002 and 2008 to provide 61 F-15Ks.

http://idrw.org/?p=2043

 

[black eagle]

supposed to be SK's KF-X

Looks very similar to the J-20...

 

[black eagle]

Another Called KFX-101.. it's saoid that this design was chosen...

 

[tony4562]

South Korea certainly has the technological base and the financial backing to pull such a project off, especially with Uncle Sam's technical support. But such a project does not make sense militarily or financially.

South Korean air force already has unquestioned supremacy over its counterpart from the North. North Korean air force is by all practical measures a token air force. So a stealth fighter won't add much, and it won't be very useful against North's 1 million+ infantrymen and their 15000 artillerry pieces. And as KFX or whatever is will be called, will likely be in the same class as the JSF, i doubt its export potential as we all know that market for 5th gen fighter is likely to be quite limited. Then even if US does provide technical support (a must have for this project to succeed), she would probably only do so reluctantly as KFX represents a competitor for the JSF, and more importantly Uncle Sam seems to be very concerned with proliferation of stealth technolgies. We saw this in US's staunchy refusal to sell F22 to its closest allies. Quite frankly JSF is the most sensible siolution here.

South Korea may be compared to a leopard as it is a nation with very ambitious goals. But still a leopard is a leopard, not a tiger. In the end whatever it does, there will be a limiting factor in its population and thus the size of its economy. But then given the nationalistic nature of Koreans in general, I would not be surprised that they do such a project anyway just for the sake of prestige.

 

[SHASH2K2]

South Korea certainly has the technological base and the financial backing to pull such a project off, especially with Uncle Sam's technical support. But such a project does not make sense militarily or financially.

South Korean air force already has unquestioned supremacy over its counterpart from the North. North Korean air force is by all practical measures a token air force. So a stealth fighter won't add much, and it won't be very useful against North's 1 million+ infantrymen and their 15000 artillerry pieces. And as KFX or whatever is will be called, will likely be in the same class as the JSF, i doubt its export potential as we all know that market for 5th gen fighter is likely to be quite limited. Then even if US does provide technical support (a must have for this project to succeed), she would probably only do so reluctantly as KFX represents a competitor for the JSF, and more importantly Uncle Sam seems to be very concerned with proliferation of stealth technolgies. We saw this in US's staunchy refusal to sell F22 to its closest allies. Quite frankly JSF is the most sensible siolution here.

South Korea may be compared to a leopard as it is a nation with very ambitious goals. But still a leopard is a leopard, not a tiger. In the end whatever it does, there will be a limiting factor in its population and thus the size of its economy. But then given the nationalistic nature of Koreans in general, I would not be surprised that they do such a project anyway just for the sake of prestige.

What if this project was started keeping China in mind? whole world knows that China is behind N koreans and any war against N korea will involve China for sure.

 

[tony4562]

JSF can do anything this KFX does and more, and US will always be there to help S.Korea out.

 

[tony4562]

There is a sentiment among Koreans that Korea should be equal to both China and Japan, economically and militarily. Frankly that's not going to happen given there are only 40 million people in S.Korea versus 120 million in Jpaan and 1.3+ billion in China.