Sør Korea gir gass

 

South Korea shows airpower aspirations amid regional threats

K-Dramas have conquered Netflix. Squid Game aside, they’re all about beautiful women, sharp suits, and late-night heartbreaks under Seoul’s neon glow – a city that pulses with energy and style.

Visitors can soak up that glamour for real: a stroll through the famous Gangnam district, Korean barbecue sizzling at the table, and icy soju to wash it all down.

 

Source: Greg Waldron/FlightGlobal

A retired Republic of Korea Air Force F-86D. South Korea has long relied on imported US military aircraft, but is already enjoying export success with jets such as the FA-50

The exhilarating environs of South Korea’s capital belie the country’s geopolitical challenges. Just 19nm (35km) to the north of chic downtown Seoul lurks the most brutal dictatorship on the planet, North Korea. South Korea is also a neighbour to an increasingly militaristic China, which views nuclear-armed North Korea as a buffer state that must be propped up at all costs.

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The regime of North Korean dictator Kim Jung-Un poses a vexing military threat. The nation’s massive army has thousands of artillery pieces in hardened shelters that are within easy range of Seoul. In a conflict these will need to be neutralised early.

Pyongyang is also investing in submarines and aspires to equipping them with ballistic missiles. It is feared that Moscow, in payment for North Korea’s support for its war in Ukraine, is assisting with this effort. The submarine threat informed Seoul’s decision to order the Sikorsky MH-60R naval combat helicopter.

North Korea’s clapped-out force of aged MiGs and Sukhois won’t last long against the combined air forces of South Korea and the USA, but by using cheap drones it could still create big trouble from the air. Its ally Moscow has pioneered the use of one-way attack drones to terrorise cities, and probably has few scruples about sharing know-how.

As with other militaries, Pyongyang will also have taken lessons from Ukraine’s dramatic 1 June clandestine drone attack on Russian bombers deep inside Russian territory.

These military challenges will be the underlying theme of this year’s Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition, known simply as ‘ADEX’, which FlightGlobal is covering this week.

The evolution of South Korean airpower amid an increasingly dangerous threat environment will be a major focus. Platforms such as the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 light attack jet and the developmental KF-21 are likely to feature prominently. The FA-50 has proven to be an export star, but the KF-21, set to enter Republic of Korea Air Force service in late 2026, is still hunting its first firm overseas order.

Seoul also aims to be a global pioneer in the emerging field of collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), and the show will reveal continued progress on this front. Korean Air’s aerospace division and KAI have both invested extensively in CCA work.

In the rotorcraft sector, Seoul continues to develop its Marine Attack Helicopter as it also considers dropping a plan for more Boeing AH-64E Apaches. It is also looking to obtain a new Special Operations Heavy Helicopter, in the form of the Boeing CH-47F Chinook or Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion.

Elsewhere, the Thales-produced Martlet missile has obtained full operational capability with the UK Royal Navy’s Leonardo Helicopters Wildcat rotorcraft, and the US Coast Guard is expanding operations with the Shield AI V-BAT uncrewed aerial system.

Boeing has stepped up its promotion of the T-7A advanced jet trainer to the UK as the Royal Air Force (RAF) contemplates the replacement of its ageing BAE Systems Hawks. And 12 former RAF Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports have been acquired by Turkey, in a long-expected deal.

Keep up to date on our ADEX and other military coverage by visiting our defence landing page.