Korea KF-X/ IF-X (KF-21) program

[Test7]

KF-X illustration (image: KAI)

In its 2021 budget, the South Korean Ministry of Defense plans to spend $5.4 billion for the development of indigenous KF-X jet.
Seoul has set the target for development of the jet for 2026. It aims to produce 15 F414 flight test engines and six prototype fighters by 2021. Flight testing will occur in 2023. 120 KF-X aircraft are scheduled for production serving the South Korean armed forces.
In June, manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced it was assembling top, middle and bottom parts of the fuselage of the jet. Final assembly of the jet could be completed by the end of 2020.
The Asian nation also wants to build new K2 battle tanks. A new locally-made powerful 1500 HP engine for these tanks will be launched soon.


Out of the total 53 trillion won ($44.7 billion) budget, $14.5 billion is earmarked for arms purchases and projects for better defense capabilities, up 2.4% from this year.

The MoD wants to spend around $30 billion or about 63% of the total, on training ($17.4 billion) and maintenance ($12.8 billion).


Personnel training covers familiarizing service members with next-generation warfare tactics based on augmented and virtual reality settings, and carrying out operations in advanced combat uniforms. Service members will learn to use protective gear in case of health crisis like COVID-19 pandemic and also to handle biological and chemical outbreaks.

Military bases in the meanwhile would adopt the latest technologies for operations, in line with the newer rules of engagement, The Korea Herald reported today.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will be incorporated at posts bordering North Korea to keep a better eye out for suspicious activity. Another $5.1 billion is assigned for coming up with necessary firepower and better reconnaissance to counter nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

The ministry also fixed $1.8 billion to prepare to take over wartime operational control from the US by 2022. Seoul currently hosts 28,500-strong United States Forces Korea (USFK).

Defense World

View News at Defense World

www.defenseworld.net

 

[Test7]

For the first time, Korea Aerospace Industries or KAI has unveiled the first prototype of the next-generation KF-X fighter jet.

South Korean aerospace giant KAI is progressing with the continued development of a fighter aircraft development program with the goal of producing an advanced multirole fighter for the country air forces.
The company has recently passed a major milestone marks the beginning of the final assembly process of the first fighter, where electronics, radar, and various other subsystems will be installed until the aircraft is officially rolled out in April 2021.

The prototype is under construction with expected to be completed by mid-2021. The first test flight is anticipated in 2022, with manufacturing scheduled to begin in 2026. South Korea expects to deploy 120 of the aircraft into service by 2032.
The prototype is under construction with expected to be completed by mid-2021. The first test flight is anticipated in 2022, with manufacturing scheduled to begin in 2026. South Korea expects to deploy 120 of the aircraft into service by 2032.
A total of 6 prototypes will be built to undergo testing until the production model KF-X enters service in 2026.
KF-X is a 4.5th gen fighter with a future plan for 5th gen conversion. It already has space allocated for Internal Weapons Bay and the software development reflects this.

 

[TR_123456]

Wow,they are fast.
I wonder when our first prototype will be unveiled.

 

[Test7]

Wow,they are fast.
I wonder when our first prototype will be unveiled.

KF-X program has United States support like the T-50 program. This is reason for this speed.

 

[Test7]

Four semi-recessed fuselage stations for missiles at the bottom

 

[Glass🚬]

wow

 

[Test7]

 

[Mustafa27]

According to this:

Overall Design: Indigenous (KAI)

Engines: GE F414 (American)

Radar: Indigenous (Hanwha Systems)

Avionics: Indigenous

Armament: Indigenous + European

IRST: Leonardo Skyward (European)

Shame tho, they should have went for mostly indigenous with only engine being american and then worked on a indigenous engine to make it fifth gen later.

 

[Ryder]

According to this:

Overall Design: Indigenous (KAI)

Engines: GE F414 (American)

Radar: Indigenous (Hanwha Systems)

Avionics: Indigenous

Armament: Indigenous + European

IRST: Leonardo Skyward (European)

Shame tho, they should have went for mostly indigenous with only engine being american and then worked on a indigenous engine to make it fifth gen later.

South Korea does not have to worry about getting embargoed compared to Turkiye.

 

[KAL-EL]

Impressive to say the least

 

[Philip the Arab]

Hope UAE and other Arab countries buy this jet.

 

[Yoyo]

Four semi-recessed fuselage stations for missiles at the bottom

View attachment 777

What are those two large oval cavities up on top? Something to do with engine air flow?

 

[triangle]

Four semi-recessed fuselage stations for missiles at the bottom

View attachment 777

What a waste of space by not fitting it with a internal weapons bay from the start. What is so difficult about designing it when you can design a whole 5th gen fighter?

 

[triangle]

What are those two large oval cavities up on top? Something to do with engine air flow?

Airducts for the engine

 

[Test7]

Airducts for the engine

@Yoyo
Yeah, it is

 

[Test7]

A small team of about 10 officials from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) are in Jakarta for negotiations with local officials over the South East Asian country’s participation in the KF-X fighter program. Indonesia had indicated that it wants to reduce its share in the program from the promised 20 percent to 15 percent.

By Jung Da-min

Korea and Indonesia are working on a new agreement for their joint fighter jet project, which has hit a snag following Indonesia's delay in paying hundreds of millions of dollars.

About 10 officials from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) ― the maker of the KF-X aircraft ― left for Jakarta, Tuesday, to meet Indonesian officials on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the two organizations.

The joint fighter jet project is called the KF-X (Korean Fighter eXperimental) in Korea and the IF-X (Indonesian Fighter eXperimental) in Indonesia.

While the two sides have held four rounds of renegotiations, the latest talks come after about a year. It is also the first meeting since Indonesia's Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto took office last October. Subianto had been putting off resuming talks with the Korean government, saying he would review the overall content of the country's defense budget and weapons systems.

During this week's meeting, officials of the two countries are expected to review conditions of the joint development project to strike a deal, as Indonesia wants a reduction in how much it promised to pay the Korean government.

Indonesia initially agreed to pay 1.7 trillion won ($1.46 billion), which accounts for about 20 percent of the total 8 trillion won project budget. But it has only paid about 220 billion won. It stopped paying in late 2017, citing the country's deteriorating financial situation.

While payment is supposed to be completed by 2026, the arrears are around 500 billion won.

According to industry officials, the Indonesian side wants to reduce its contribution from the promised 20 percent to 15 percent. The proposal was raised by Indonesian President Joko Widodo when he met President Moon Jae-in during a visit to Korea in September 2018, according to the officials.

Last year, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto said the country was considering offering CN-235 aircraft from the country's state plane maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia as part of its contribution, instead of cash.

Industry officials said Indonesia also wanted the Korean government to transfer more of the technology for the fighter jet development to Indonesia ― a request that Korea cannot decide alone because some of the technology is linked to the United States.

Meanwhile, the fighter development by KAI is going smoothly, with the manufacturer set to roll out the prototype in the first half of 2021. Earlier this month, KAI started assembling the prototype of what will be the country's first indigenously developed fighter jet.

Korea, Indonesia set renegotiations for joint fighter jet development project

Korea and Indonesia are working on a new agreement for their joint fighter jet project, which has hit a snag following Indonesia's delay in paying hundreds of millions of dollars.

www.koreatimes.co.kr

 

[Test7]

The Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) is inviting the Korean public to submit names for the KF-X fighter. The naming contest runs from Oct. 1 to 30 and three people will be selected with the first-place winner receiving an award plus a model of the aircraft.

 

[Glass🚬]

 

[Test7]

So, where is the KF-X ?

 

[Glass🚬]

in korea.