F-35 til Sør Korea

South Korea formally decides on 40 F-35As

By: GREG WALDRON

SINGAPORE

Source: Flightglobal.com

07:28 24 Mar 2014

South Korea has formally decided to obtain 40 Lockheed Martin 
F-35As to fill its long running F-X III requirement.

“We are honoured by and appreciate the trust and confidence
the Republic of Korea has placed in the 5th Generation
F-35 to meet its demanding security requirements,” says Orlando
Carvalho,executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

“We look forward to supporting the discussions between the
Republicof Korea and U.S. governments in support of a 
final agreementthis year. This decision strengthens and 
extends our long-standing security partnership while 
enhancing regional stabilityacross the greater Asia 
Pacific theatre.”

Lockheed’s statement follows a formal announcement by South
Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Executive Committee in Seoul
earlier today.

If the acquisition proceeds as planned, deliveries will start in 2018.

A source familiar with South Korean defence acquisitions says
Seoul will now issue a formal letter of request to the US for 
theaircraft and other elements of the programme, such as 
offsetarrangements associated with the deal.

Media reports from South Korea indicate that the country hopes
to conclude negotiations for the fighters by the third quarter of
2014.

Seoul’s decision follows a November 2013 report carried by
South Korea’s official news agency quoting the nation’s joint chiefs
of staff as saying that Seoul would buy 40 F-35As, with deliveries to
start in 2018.

That report mentioned that Seoul would also obtain an option for an
additional 20 F-35As, but today’s announcements from South Korea
and Lockheed make no mention of this.

After Australia and Japan, South Korea will be the third Asia Pacific
nation to order the type. Australia, a partner in the F-35 programme,
could obtain up to 100 F-35As. Japan is obtaining 48 aircraft under
the US Foreign Military Sales mechanism, through which Seoul will
also acquire its aircraft.

Among other regional powers, Singapore has expressed strong
interest in the programme, apparently leaning toward the short take-
offand vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B variant.

The F-X III requirement, originally for 60 aircraft, was hotly contested
between the Lockheed aircraft, as well as the Boeing F-15 Silent 
Eagleand Eurofighter Typhoon. The F-15SE appeared to 
have securedthe win last summer, but Seoul abruptly decided 
to change the termsof the requirement to favour a stealthy 
aircraft.