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

[Indos]

26 September 2019

Detail Design Has Been Completed

The Defense Affairs Agency (CEO Wang Jung-hong) held the KF-X Detailed Design Review (CDR) Meeting * from September 24 to 26, allowing all military requirements to be reflected in the design and proceeding to the prototype production stage. It was confirmed that there is.

* CDR (Critical Design Review): Verify that system requirements and functional requirements are all reflected in the initial product specification that satisfies the detailed design, and proceed to prototype production, system integration, and testing within cost, schedule, and risk. Procedure to formally confirm that this is possible

❍ The Korean fighter system development project is under the supervision of the Korea Aerospace Industries (President Ahn Hyun-ho). The development began in January 2016 and completed the basic design in June 2018. Detailed hardware and software details are now available. The design is finalized and part fabrication is in progress.

❍ Up to three years and nine months from the start of the project, the wind tunnel test, the updating of major system models, and the design and analysis results for each field continuously improved the shape.

❍ In this detailed design review meeting, reviewers composed of government and private experts, including the Air Force, reviewed about 390 technical data to confirm that the military requirements were properly reflected in the design.

❍ The head of the Korean Fighter Project Division, Senior Defense Officer, Kwang Sun-sun, said, “Now, Korean fighter aircraft development has successfully passed the detailed design review stage and faces new challenges in the construction and testing of prototypes.” We will make every effort to make Korean fighters with the performances that the military satisfies through cooperation with related organizations. ”

❍ The head of the Korean Air Fighter Project Division, Kwang-Su Ryu, said, “We have made great efforts to develop Korean fighter aircraft that meet the military needs through perfect quality assurance and ground and flight tests of prototypes based on the output from detailed design after the start of system development. I'll make it successful. ”

❍ The Korean fighter system development project will ship the first prototype in the first half of 2021. It will then begin its first flight test in the first half of 2022 and complete development by 2026. In addition, it plans to exhibit a full-scale Korean fighter model at ADEX (Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition) held in October this year.

한국형전투기(KF-X) 시제기 제작 개시한다! / 방사청 제공

한국형전투기(KF-X) 상세설계검토회의를 주재하는 정광선 방위사업청 한국형전투기사업단장과 안느 꾸스마야띠 인도네시아 연구개발원장의 모습한국형전......

bemil.chosun.com

 

[Indos]

The program actually started around 2010 with ADD Korea and Indonesian Aerospace (+Bandung Institute of Technology) made a joint program. Previously, around 2009, South Korea give the proposal to Indonesia to join the program that is accepted by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration.

ADD and Indonesian Aerospace then made a join research program that is centered in South Korea (2010-Desember 2013). This is the first phase of development which is technology development phase. The result is C 103 design that become the base design for final C 109 design.

The program is delayed in 2014 to wait Korean parliament approval to start the manufacturing phase. KAI and Lockheed Martin join KFX/IFX program in 2015 and the manufacturing phase started in 2016 after both Korea and Indonesia made a work share deal in 2015.

C 103 design can be seen on Indonesian wind tunnel test promotion YT video.

 

[Test7]

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has shared new footage that shows the production process of South Korea’s next-generation fighter jet, known popularly as KF-X.

South Korean aerospace giant has released new photos of the KF-X assembly line in Sacheon, south of Seoul.

According to new photos, the first prototype of future fighter aircraft has vertical stabilizers installed, and the second prototype is being assembled with an automated Fuselage Automated Splice System (FASS).


The KF-X (Korean Fighter eXperimental) is a next-generation stealth aircraft that combines elements of a 5th-gen fighter jet.

KAI says the KF-X is one of the most important national projects to replace current air force fighters and to introduce the next generation fighter that can satisfy the future operation concept of force battlefield. Also, KAI is under localization of major avionics part for product improvement by domestic technology. Mission and flight control computer, equivalent to its brain, will be installed to KF-X for ground test and test flight after performance test this year.

KAI started system development in 2015 Dec, went through PDR(Preliminary Design Review) in 2018, began the first detail part machining on February 2019 and passed the CDR(Critical Design Review) on September 2019.

KF-X will be completed by the first half-year of 2021 and the first flight test is scheduled to be done in 2022. By 2026, system development is ended.

KAI releases new photo from South Korea’s next-gen fighter jet assembly line

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has shared new footage that shows the production process of South Korea’s next-generation fighter jet, known popularly as KF-X. South Korean aerospace giant has released new photos of the KF-X assembly line in Sacheon, south of Seoul. According to new photos, the...

defence-blog.com

 

[Raptor]

Impressive development

 

[Indos]

I put this 2016 information from Indonesia Defense Ministry official website to understand about the project further and about Indonesian contribution on the program. This is also important since there is disinformation going on to jeopardize the cooperation between the two countries.

In 2015 Korea and Indonesia has reached the agreement about work sharing and other so the information being put here is still up to date since the information is based on the 2015 deal that start the second phase of KFX/IFX program which is manufacturing phase after first phase, technology development phase, that started in 2011.



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Google Translate

Korea Indonesia KFX / IFX Combat Aircraft Project
Monday, May 2, 2016

The development project of a 4.5 generation advanced fighter aircraft called KFX / IFX, which is being carried out by South Korea and Indonesia, has officially started in recent months. Indonesia, which bears 20% of the development fund, has also prepared infrastructure and human resources to support the success of this biggest Indonesian military project. Then what has Indonesia prepared?

The first thing that has been prepared by the Indonesian government is to build facilities to support this project in the future. The facilities under construction are a special hangar for the composing hangar facility, titanium hangar, production hangar, and hangar for the final assembly of this fighter aircraft in Bandung, West Java. This particular hangar is located in the area of PT Dirgantara Indonesia, and is almost complete.

In this special facility for the KFX / IFX project, it will be used by the Indonesian side for the purposes of this project. Indonesia itself is reportedly going to get a share to make a number of important components of this sophisticated fighter. Among them are the wing, tail and wing reinforcement components of this fighter.

In addition, it is also reported that in this facility, one of the IFX fighter prototypes will also be built which will become part of Indonesia. As we all know that in this KFX / IFX project, 6 prototypes will be built which will undergo a series of flight tests. One of these 6 prototypes will belong to Indonesia. Apart from the 6 prototypes, there will be 2 other prototypes to be built which will not be tested but will undergo a series of aircraft structural tests. The KFX / IFX fighter prototype to be produced in Indonesia is the fifth prototype, and will be a fully carried out test flight aircraft in Indonesia.

Design KFX / IFX C-103 Conventional Wing Dual Engine

Not only preparing for infrastructure, Indonesia has also started preparing my human resources since a few years ago to support this modern fighter development project. The Indonesian government and PT Dirgantara Indonesia are reported to have prepared around 200 to 300 experts to be involved in this mega project of the Indonesian military . However, a large number of experts will come to South Korea gradually over the next 10 years. However, there are also experts who will be involved for 10 years from the start.

Some of the experts from Indonesia themselves will be sent to school abroad, especially to European countries to sharpen their knowledge, before being directly involved in this project. The additional knowledge they get from European countries is expected to be of additional positive value for the development of Indonesian combat aircraft in the future.

The number of Indonesian experts involved in the second phase, known as the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, was far more than the first phase (Technical Development Phase), which only amounted to 52 at that time. The first phase (Technical Development Phase) itself lasted 18 months from 2011 to 2012. Meanwhile, the second phase (EMD) will last for 10 years, involving 200-300 Indonesian experts.

Not only aerospace experts, the Indonesian military has also prepared several pilots from the Indonesian Air Force as test pilots for this fighter aircraft later. It is reported that 5 test pilots have been prepared for this KFX / IFX fighter later. The five pilots are reported to have qualified and had sufficient flight hours with the KT-1B Wongbee and T-50i Golden Eagle trainers.

Not only that, the five candidates for the KFX / IFX fighter pilot test have also been specially assigned to S1 Aviation Engineering - Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). This is done so that the five prospective test pilots are also equipped with adequate aviation knowledge in addition to the ability to be fighter pilots.

This considerable preparation is expected to be a step towards the success of the KFX / IFX fighter aircraft development project which in the future is expected to become the foundation of the TNI's defense equipment, especially for Indonesian combat aircraft in the future. Although this fighter plane is not purely an Indonesian-made fighter, Indonesia has high hopes for the success of this project.

But of course all these preparations do not guarantee that this project will run smoothly and smoothly. Of course there will be many obstacles and obstacles that will still be faced, but at least all the preparations that have been carried out are a good first step. We cannot confirm the success or failure of this mega project of the Indonesian military and only time will tell.

Badan Pendidikan dan Pelatihan Kemhan RI

www.kemhan.go.id

 

[Indos]

During Ceremony of final assembly

Latest picture

상반기 공개 앞두고...'KF-X' 시제기 조립 구슬땀

산업 > 기업 뉴스: 경남 사천 한국항공우주산업(KAI) 본사 최종조립동에서 직원들이 한국형 전투기(KF-X) 시제기를 조립하고 있다. 단군 이래 최대 ...

www.sedaily.com

 

[Indos]

Law that back the program

So the LOI to develop the fighter together was signed in 6 March 2009 and the MOU in 15 July 2010

 

[Indos]

Second and Third KFX/IFX prototype

First KFX/IFX prototype

It is expected that the first KFX/IFX prototype will be rolled out in Mei this year inshaAllah

 

[Nilgiri]

Defense World

View News at Defense World

www.defenseworld.net

South Korea will roll-out its KF-X fighter jet prototype around end-April, weeks ahead of schedule, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in comments quoted in Korean media.

The first prototype is currently in the final stage of assembly. South Korea has been working on the KF-X project since 2015 to develop a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft to replace the Air Force's fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets.

The assembly of the first prototype began in September 2020 by Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI) which is the project lead under guidance of the DAPA.

Completion of ground and flight tests is expected around 2026. Forty units are planned to be delivered to the Air Force by 2028 and another 80 units by 2032, the report said.

While bearing outward similarities to the fifth-generation F-35A, the aircraft is more aligned to the F-16 in terms of performance and features. However, its future iterations will have features of the American stealth fighter.

The aircraft is expected to fly at a maximum speed of Mach 1.81, a range of 2,900 kilometers and maximum payload of 7,700 kilograms. The fighter will contain 10 pods for missiles and fuel tanks. It will be able to carry several types of air-to-air missiles, such as Germany's IRIS-T and MBDA's active radar guided Meteor missiles.

@Indos

 

[Indos]

Nice, Indonesian parliament Chairmant and Commission 1 Chairman (Defense related) have also been invited to KAI Korea at the (possible) April roll out ceremony.

 

[Indos]

With a maximum payload of 7,700 kilograms, the fighter is capable of installing 10 pods for missiles and fuel barrels. It will be able to carry several types of air-to-air missiles, such as Germany's IRIS-T and European developer MBDA's active radar guided Meteor missiles, it added.

"KF-X is categorized as a '4.5' generation fighter jet. But the platform is designed to be converted into an advanced, fifth-generation one at any time," a DAPA official said. (Yonhap)

S. Korea in final stage of assembling first prototype of indigenous fighter jet

South Korea is in the final stage of assembling a prototype of what would be the country's first indigenously developed fighter jet, which is expected to be unveiled in April, officials said Sunday. South Korea has been working on the KF-X project since 2015 to develop a homegrown cutting-edge...

www.koreaherald.com

 

[Test7]

This is the final assembly site video of the KF-X prototype. Currently, four prototypes are being assembled and an official roll-out is scheduled for April. KF-X is said to start mass production in 2028, and 120 units will be deployed in the Air Force by 2032.

 

[Indos]

This is the final assembly site video of the KF-X prototype. Currently, four prototypes are being assembled and an official roll-out is scheduled for April. KF-X is said to start mass production in 2028, and 120 units will be deployed in the Air Force by 2032.

Not 2028, but rather 2026 base on recent plan for mass production stage.

 

[Test7]

Not 2028, but rather 2026 base on recent plan for mass production stage.

Some sources claim that;

Test flights will run out to 2026, with mass production to start by 2028. This first batch of jets, says KAI, will have limited weapons capability, but series production aircraft built from 2029 will be able to use a full range of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions.

Fuselage of first KF-X prototype breaks cover

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has issued an image of the first KF-X fuselage, which is undergoing assembly in the company's Sacheon factory. The company states that the first prototype of the twin-engined jet will be rolled out by April 2021, with test flights starting in 2022. Source...

www.flightglobal.com

Starting with the test flights in 2022, the prototypes will then undergo four years of trials, and the development is expected to be completed by mid-2026.

The first batch of mass-produced KF-X aircraft are expected between 2026 and 2028. They will be equipped with limited air-to-ground weapons in addition to air-to-air weapons.

KAI’s first KF-X prototype scheduled for April 2021, test flight in 2022

Korea Aerospace Industries said Wednesday it plans to roll out the first prototype of its next-generation KF-X fighter jet next April and commence test flights in 2022. “KAI will roll out the first KF-X prototype by April next year. After the first prototype, the remaining five prototypes will...

www.koreaherald.com

 

[Blog Before Flight]

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has released new images showing the assembly line of the 4.5-generation KAI KF-X fighter. They were published following the recent visit by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Seong-yong to the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) manufacturing facility.

There are currently three prototypes of the aircraft being assembled, a fourth prototype will be built in mid-2022 while the fifth will be manufactured by Indonesian Aerospace, should Indonesia remain in the project. Read more here

 

[Indos]

Not 8 prototypes, misleading information. There are only 3 prototypes now, fourth prototype will be manufactured in middle of 2022 where the the sixth prototype will be made in Indonesian Aerospace ( if Indonesia is still a partner)

 

[Indos]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1323911862707122177

 

[Indos]

Older photo, PDR meeting July 2018, the completion of basic design

KAI join the program in 2015 and in 2016 the second phase of development is started. In 2017, Indonesian engineers number is increasing into 74 from 54 during the first phase. In 2019 during detail design process the number is increasing again into 114.

This is the management office in KAI

Joint program office for KF-X fighter opens - UPI.com

South Korea and Indonesia opened a joint program management office on Wednesday for development of the KF-X fighter aircraft.

www.upi.com

Indonesia delays payment for S. Korea's fighter development project | Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- Indonesia is in arrears on its payment obligations for a joint p...

en.yna.co.kr

 

[Test7]

The most important reason why KAI is making such rapid progress is that KFX uses a very high percentage of US subsystems. Under a defence offset package linked to South Korea’s 2014 procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the US corporation is already positioned as a technical partner on the KFX. Lockheed Martin is obligated to provide assistance across 21 technology suites including flight controls, avionics, systems integration, materials, and unspecified fighter aircraft weaponry. Frankly, I think KF X very useful for South Korea. Indonesia's participation in the program also means capability gain for Indonesia. A successful example of the system for the BAe and Turkey. But I wonder this. Will South Korea be able to easily sell this plane to a country that the US does not want? This is the main problem of countries that do not produce the entire system.

 

[Indos]

The most important reason why KAI is making such rapid progress is that KFX uses a very high percentage of US subsystems. Under a defence offset package linked to South Korea’s 2014 procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the US corporation is already positioned as a technical partner on the KFX. Lockheed Martin is obligated to provide assistance across 21 technology suites including flight controls, avionics, systems integration, materials, and unspecified fighter aircraft weaponry. Frankly, I think KF X very useful for South Korea. Indonesia's participation in the program also means capability gain for Indonesia. A successful example of the system for the BAe and Turkey. But I wonder this. Will South Korea be able to easily sell this plane to a country that the US does not want? This is the main problem of countries that do not produce the entire system.

That is right, there is deal happening during F35 acquisition for South Korea. They get huge technical data from F22 and F35 program intended to help KFX/IFX program, but 4 core technologies cannot be given due to US parliament objection.

Despite so, the basic design of KFX/IFX comes from C-103 design that is made by ADD Korea and Indonesia team (Indonesia Aerospace+ Bandung Institute of Technology) before LM and KAI join in 2016. The designed than refined and become C -109 that become final design.

I believe KFX sales can be stopped if US show discontent, just like what is happening in T50 Golden Eagle case.