South Korea: KF-X, first flight in July next year: Indonesia under a joint partnership
-24 trillion won for production-inducing effect alone-
Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KAI):
Korea Aerospace (KAI) Factory in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, visited on January 24
Officials of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration:
He described the KF-X business as follows.
A total of 6 trial machines were lined up in the huge factory.
KF-X:
The torso is 16.9 meters,
Wingspan 11.2 meters,
It’s similar in size to the F-18.
In addition to the six prototypes, there were two prototypes of the same shape.
Durability test on the ground:
A durability test will be conducted on whether the KF-X prototype can withstand up to 2.5 times the actual life time (8000 hours).
By 2026, the development of a system with flight performance and air-to-air combat capability will be completed.
For two years, additional armed tests with air-to-ground combat capabilities will be conducted.
The first trial machine that will appear for the first time next month.
Currently 92-93% process is completed.
39% domestic production rate:
Not only the fuselage of the fighter, but 80 major parts have been domestically produced.
AESA Radar:
“Fighter eyes” that identify enemy aircraft first and search for ground strike targets, especially in aerial combat
The AESA radar was developed with domestic technology.
The engine is made by GE:
The core engine is a GE product.
Introduced Hanwha Aero Space.
Indonesian speculation:
Indonesia is a co-developed country that will bear 20% of the total project amount.
That ambiguous attitude is the problem.
Indonesia has not yet paid South Korea a development contribution of 604.4 billion won.
On the contrary, they are showing their willingness to buy fighters from the United States and France.
Grandmaster Chung:
“Situations such as blank slate of joint development” are also taken into consideration.
“There is no problem in promoting the business,” he emphasized.
JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version
https://s.japanese.joins.com/JArticle/276071?sectcode=220&servcode=200
Indonesia appears likely to withdraw from joint fighter jet project
Korea’s ambitious indigenous fighter jet project may end up costing taxpayers much more than they bargained for, as its partner Indonesia toys with pulling out from the program altogether.
The project to develop the Korea Fighter eXperimental (KF-X), Seoul’s first domestically built next-generation fighter jet, has already cost trillions of won. It’s been called the most expensive military project in the country’s history.
Total development costs have been estimated to be around 8.5 trillion won ($7.8 billion), of which 1.6 trillion won, or 20 percent, is to be paid by Indonesia under a joint partnership contract the two countries signed in 2016.