South Korea's KFX fighter program (news)

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South Korea's KFX fighter program (news); updates and discussions
Tweet Topic Started: Apr 29 2013, 12:26 AM (8,073 Views)
Hong Nam	Apr 29 2013, 12:26 AM Post #1
Bought by China Posts: 6,025 Group: Elite Member #7,580 Joined: July 4, 2012	Seoul Plans Phased-Development, Typhoon-Size Fighter By Bradley Perrett Source: Aviation Week & Space Technology April 29, 2013 In all of the West, only one all-new fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35, is in full-scale development. If it outlasts its predecessors, as new products usually do, it could find itself to be the last man standing. The F-35 will have Russian and Chinese competition, but only the U.S. fighter is likely to be engineered to standards that facilitate integration of Western weapons and sensors. For many countries, there will be no real alternative. Or maybe there will be: a Western fighter from the East. After at least a decade of studies, the design of South Korea's proposed KF-X fighter is becoming clearer. If it goes ahead, and if it is not heavily revised, it will be a two-engine fighter of the size of the Eurofighter Typhoon, perhaps following the Typhoon and other European fighters in mounting its horizontal stabilizers forward (see specifications table, page 48). It will be designed for Western, especially U.S., weapons and sensors, although later South Korean equipment will be fitted. First mooted within the government in 1999, and announced as a national objective in 2002, KF-X has been under study for 14 years, repeatedly failing to gain authorization for full-scale development, which it still awaits. Early in the program, the targeted in-service date was 2015; now, it cannot fly before 2021, and therefore cannot be operational until middle 2020s, if it survives powerful opposition. In the air force's planning, KF-X will be a medium fighter, at first serving alongside and then replacing the KF-16, the locally built version of the F-16. Fighters above the KF-S rated as “high” grade—mainly meaning a greater payload range—would be the Boeing F-15K and whichever aircraft is chosen for the current F-X Phase 3 competition (AW&ST April 15, p. 52). Below it will be the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50. But backers, particularly ADD, present KF-X as the keystone in South Korea's future military aviation development. It would not just be a home-produced fighter; it would become the host aircraft of South Korean combat aircraft systems, such as sensors and weapons, promoting wider advances in the defense industry. South Korea would be in complete control of its configuration, not needing foreign permission to integrate its systems, as it has for the T-50 supersonic trainer and its combat variants. In evolving the design and program, ADD has sought to address doubts about South Korea's technological capacity and the aircraft's technological adequacy. In 2009, the developers acknowledged that South Korea could not build a fully stealthy aircraft, equivalent to the F-35. They relaxed the radar cross-section to the level of such aircraft as the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon. That radar cross-section is likely to be in the range of 0.1-1 sq. meters (1.07-10.07 sq. ft.), compared with 1-10 sq. meters for old F-4 Phantom and F-5 Tiger fighters in South Korean service, says a former air force officer who has been involved in planning for KF-X and other programs. KF-X's intended cross-section “is low enough,” he says, pointing to an official but unpublished study showing gaps in the coverage of North Korean surveillance radars when dealing with such a target. Those gaps exist even without electronic countermeasures degrading the performance of the radars, the study shows. http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_04_29_2013_p46-571780.xml&p=1
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jvelarde	Apr 29 2013, 03:59 PM Post #2
Member Posts: 1,332 Group: Regulars Member #550 Joined: September 20, 2005	As much as I admire the tenacity and the ambition of the South Koreans, this KF-X project is bound to fail economically and probably technologically as well. The UK and Germany, with aerospace industries are far more advanced than South Korea, had decided to ditch the go-alone approach and collaborated to come up with the Typhoon with other European partners. What makes the South Koreans think that the they can pull it off?



israeli	Nov 5 2013, 10:57 PM Post #3
Posts: 3,069 Group: Elite Member #22 Joined: July 13, 2004	Air Platforms ADEX 2013: KAI unveils new version of KFX fighter James Hardy, Seoul - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly -- KAI unveiled a single-engine version of the KFX technology demonstrator at ADEX 2013 in Seoul. Source: IHS/James Hardy Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) has developed a single-engined version of the Korean Fighter Xperiment (KFX) indigenous stealth fighter prototype in an effort to get the stalled programme back on track. Officials at the Seoul Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX 2013) told IHS Jane's that the single-engined version, dubbed the C501, was a low-cost option that combined elements of the in-production FA-50 light fighter and the twin-engine KFX technology demonstrator, called the C103, that completed its technical development in 2013. <snipped> An industry source, who declined to be named due to the political sensitivity of the programme, said the Defense Acquisition Programme Agency (DAPA) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) believed the C103 technology demonstrator had "development risks - basically the stealth configuration means it could cost more money". He added that the government believed it was "a good plane", but the development risks were "great compared to the government's plans and so it had requested a 'practical' alternative". In response, KAI has developed the C501 prototype in single seat and dual seat versions. The key differences between the C103 and the C501 are that the latter has a single vertical stabiliser, single engine and uses data, systems, and avionics developed for KAI's FA-50 - itself a development of the T-50 Golden Eagle lead-in fighter trainer. The C501 also lacks any internal weapon bays. However, with the exception of the tail, the C103 and C501 planforms are almost identical, allowing wind tunnel data from the C103 to be used in the C501's conceptual design. The official described the C501 as a "more advanced, stealthier version of the Lockheed Martin F-16" that would fill a gap between the Lockheed Martin F-35 and FA-50 in Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) service. The source added that based on market research, KAI also believed that the single-engine C501 version of the KFX would be an "attractive candidate" to international customers, including Western countries, looking to supplement their F-35 fleets with a lighter, cheaper option. "The bottom line is that KAI is pursuing affordability in developing the KFX," said the official, who nonetheless warned that the C501 version was so far only a conceptual design model. For this to change, DAPA has to complete the FX-III programme - currently under review following the decision in late September not to purchase the Boeing F-15SE. "It all depends on FX-III," the official said. "The winner will provide technical assistance for the KFX programme." The official said the KFX programme had an eight-and-a half-year engineering, manufacturing, and development (EMD) phase, with the Ministry of Finance allocating USD10 billion for this phase in its Fiscal Year 2014 budget request. If it is approved by the National Assembly and an FX-III contract is awarded, EMD will begin in November 2014.
	"To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz


MSantor	Feb 11 2014, 05:27 AM Post #4
Posts: 28,659 Group: PDFF Mod Group Member #516 Joined: August 6, 2005	Defense News Quote: S. Korea Weighs Designs for KF-X Feb. 10, 2014 - 12:15PM \| By JUNG SUNG-KI SEOUL — A decadelong effort by South Korea to develop its own fighter aircraft has finally received approval, yet the feasibility of the ambitious indigenous project, dubbed KF-X, is still in debate. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced Jan. 5 that it would begin the KF-X development with the allocation of 20 billion won (US $19 million). Seoul aims to produce 120 KF-X jets between 2023 and 2030, the agency said. But the announcement sparked a dispute over key specifications for the KF-X, especially over the design of the future jet. The state-funded Agency for Defense Development (ADD) has long studied a twin-engine concept, either of the C103 design that looks somewhat like the F-35 or the C203 design following the European approach and using forward canards in a stealth-shaped airframe. Both of the twin-engine platforms would be powered by two 18,000-pound engines, ADD officials said. Korea Aerospace Industries, on the other hand, prefers a single-engine concept, dubbed C501, which is to be built based on the FA-50, a light attack aircraft version of the T-50 supersonic trainer jet co-produced by Lockheed Martin. (...)
	"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford "Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton


icefrog	Feb 11 2014, 05:30 AM Post #5
Posts: 6,518 Group: Elite Member #6,941 Joined: July 20, 2011	^ I completely agree with what their ADD and Airforce said.
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MSantor	Mar 22 2014, 04:17 AM Post #6
Posts: 28,659 Group: PDFF Mod Group Member #516 Joined: August 6, 2005	A deal by the end of this year? Defense News Quote: South Korea to Award Tanker, Fighter Contracts by End of Year Mar. 21, 2014 - 03:59PM \| By AARON MEHTA (...EDITED) The service will also announce its next-generation fighter selection next month, the Republic of Korea air force’s vice chief of staff, told a Washington audience during a Friday event hosted by the Air Force Association. The F-X program will replace South Korea’s aging F-4 and F-5 fighter fleet. Although Kim treated the program as an open competition, it is widely believed that Seoul has settled on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Once that selection is made, Kim said he expects a contract before the end of the year. The selection will also help kick off the KF-X program, South Korea’s development program of an indigenous fighter design. The two programs are directly linked, with Kim saying how much technical support and tech transfer the winner of the F-X program gives to Korea the “most important factor” in its selection. (...EDITED)
	"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford "Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton


MSantor	Mar 25 2014, 12:32 AM Post #7
Posts: 28,659 Group: PDFF Mod Group Member #516 Joined: August 6, 2005	A major update at the F-35 superthread: South Korea officially acquiring 40 F-35s
	"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford "Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton


raider1011	Jul 12 2014, 02:07 PM Post #8
Posts: 8,216 Group: Elite Member #5,752 Joined: September 18, 2009	FIA14: South Korean KFX Project Plan Expected Earlier Than We Think 11 July 2014 South Korea is accelerating its efforts to develop an indigenous warplane with a plan to give public notice of bids for the so-called KFX project as early as this August. The military plans to confirm its required operational capabilities for the project at the Joint Chiefs of Staff Council session in mid-July, and finalise the bidding plan during a session of the national defence acquisition programme committee next month. The KFX programme, which includes both the development and production of the home-built warplane, is expected to cost nearly KRW20 trillion ($19.7 billion). Under the project, Seoul seeks to deploy 120 fighters after 2023 to replace its aging fleets of F-4s and F-5s. ... The KFX may prove that smaller nations, when combining funds and resources, can produce a near fifth-generation aircraft that approaches the capability of a fighter produced by countries with far greater resources, such as the US, Russia, and China. But this is unlikely. KFX, if completed, may be appealing to less wealthy nations who cannot afford, e.g., the F-35. Military Technology
	God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless. \|\| Chester W. Nimitz Loyalty to the Nation ALL the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it. \|\| Mark Twain


Hong Nam	Jul 19 2014, 09:43 PM Post #9
Bought by China Posts: 6,025 Group: Elite Member #7,580 Joined: July 4, 2012	South Korea military chiefs endorse $8.2 billion development plan for home-built fighters SEOUL Fri Jul 18, 2014 (Reuters) - South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff endorsed a plan on Friday for the country to design its own mid-level fighter jet, which a state think tank estimated will cost up to 8.5 trillion won ($8.24 billion) to develop. Dubbed the KF-X program, the fighter jet is expected to be built by the country's sole jet builder, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd (KAI), after being co-developed with Lockheed Martin Corp, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The Joint Chiefs said in a statement that they had endorsed a twin-engine fighter jet to be developed for delivery starting in 2025. South Korea's acquisition of 40 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets for around 7.34 trillion won is expected to be finalised in the third quarter. The deal's accompanying offset offer includes Lockheed Martin involvement in the KF-X program, the people said. However, the scope of Lockheed Martin's involvement in the program is still being negotiated, the people added. Indonesia also participated in earlier studies of the KF-X program and remains a potential partner, one of the people said. State-run think tank Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) reported earlier this month that a twin-engine version of the fighter jet is expected to cost around 8.5 trillion won, the person told Reuters. Both sources declined to be identified as details of defense requirements are confidential. Officials with Lockheed Martin could not be reached for comment. Reuters
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raider1011	Jul 20 2014, 08:28 AM Post #10
Posts: 8,216 Group: Elite Member #5,752 Joined: September 18, 2009	The decision in more detail: S. Korea Opts for Twin-Engine Fighter Development Jul. 19, 2014 The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is set to launch a bid for the engine contract as early as next month. Candidates would include the GE F414 and Eurojet EJ200, according to DAPA officials. The JCS’ decision on the twin-engine platform comes amid heated debate over the feasibility of the KF-X jet development. The state-funded Korea Institute for Defense Analysis (KIDA) vehemently opposed the twin-engine design, citing high costs and technical challenges. ... On the other hand, the Air Force, backed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD), brushed off concerns over costs overruns and technical difficulties. ... “The ADD has secured about 90 percent of independent technologies for the KF-X,” Lee noted. “Of the 432 technologies needed, the agency is only short of 48 items, such as engines and some avionics systems.” The ADD hopes that it will be able to get those lacking technologies in offsets from Lockheed Martin, the successful bidder for South Korea’s F-X III fighter jet development program, and other foreign companies. The ADD envisions that a KF-X Block 2 would have internal weapons bay, and Block 3 would feature stealth improvements to the level of the B-2 bomber or F-35 joint strike fighter. Indonesia is the only KF-X partner at the moment. Indonesia is to bear 20 percent of the projected development costs, while the Korean government will take 60 percent. The funding for the remaining 20 percent remains unclear, as KAI is expected to bear part of the money. Defense News Edited by raider1011, Jul 20 2014, 08:31 AM.
	God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless. \|\| Chester W. Nimitz Loyalty to the Nation ALL the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it. \|\| Mark Twain


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