via Korean Herald.
Concerns are escalating in South Korea over possible delays in the development of the F-35 fighter jet as this could hinder Seoul’s project to deploy 40 of the radar-evading aircraft from 2018-2021.Wait! What? S. Korea hasn't actually bought any jets yet? They won't buy them until 2018? But the plan says the plane won't complete development until 2019! Hmm. This F-35 story is just starting to get good!
The U.S-led multinational F-35 development program has recently been in the media spotlight due to a set of accidents, most recently on June 23, when one of the warplanes’ engines caught fire before takeoff.
Apart from the hardware issues, the development of certain software could face delays of up to 14 months, Bloomberg reported, citing a Pentagon report. The software is crucial for operating navigation, communications and targeting systems, the report said.
Amid concerns about the possible delays in the U.S.’ costliest defense program, Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said that it would “closely watch the situation.”
“As we haven’t bought any of the F-35 jets under development yet and will purchase them from 2018, we still have some time to watch the situation and wait for solutions to come,” a DAPA official told The Korea Herald, declining to be named.
If you buy in 2018 then Delivery is in 2021, which is 2 years AFTER development is scheduled to be done.
ReplyDeletearticle says simply that they're deploying aircraft between 2018 and 2021. the particulars i don't know.
DeleteIIRC the Korean's are buying 3i in their first batch or two. Since the hardware for 3i is already done, only the software remains so upgrades from 3i to 3F are a no brainer.
DeleteWhile I am sure that there will be hardware components as part of the 3F Block, all budget docs point to a very low upgrade cost from 3i to 3F.
Next sentence after the quote from the article above: “We don’t expect any serious problems yet … with respect to our procurement schedule.”
ReplyDeleteyou want to play the parsing sentences game? ok, then in my opinion the operative word is "yet" the rest of the sentence is simply diplomacy.
DeleteGetting shot down by emerging threats not being "serious problems" of course.
ReplyDeleteThe ROKAF doesn't plan to send out the F-35 against China and Japan.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete40 airframes only???? Against the might of the NK army/navy/AF? (I'm not talking about whether or not NK can defeat the F35. PRoC and/or Russia can provide AA systems to balance that.)
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how these bomb trucks (that's what I call an aircraft that can't fight/air-to-air combat) be relevant in a full-blown shooting/shitting war with NK? What are these 40 a/f (airframes) for? Hangar queens?
Mark Kram
DeleteSince the F-35 will be an F/A-117 style attack jet with a secondary loiter to visually confirm ballistic/cruise missile hits on targets, 40 is more than enough for this specialized role. The ROKAF plans to spend saved money on upgrading existing F-15Ks instead with the latest AESA radar and avonics package, on top of an F-16 AESA upgrade. The ROKAF's fighter shortage problem goes away once the KFX enters IOC in 2025, but they must hang on until then.
No one's asking the F-35 to patrol the East China Sea ADIZ(Single engine makes it too dangerous for an extended oceanic flight), or get a lock on Japanese F-35s which isn't possible due to IFF issues.
The F-15SE would have been a far superior buy for the ROKAF. While not a perfect choice, it would add a serious capability to the current 60+ F-15k's. The decision not to go forward with the original tender for the F-15SE is looking more foolish by the day.
ReplyDeleteCanuck Fighter
DeleteThe F-35's inability to carry Korea's next generation heavy supersonic missiles(At least 1.6 tons each) played a decisive role in the decision to go with the twin engine C103 KFX model(external payload of 20,000 lbs, with single munition upto 4,000 lbs), as neither the F-35 nor the Lockheed proposed KFX-E model could carry these heavy missiles set to enter service with the ROK Navy in 2018.
If if was the Silent Eagle or the F-15SA brining up ROKAF's F-15 inventory total to 120 units, then the C103 twin-engine model would have been an impossible seller as there would be enough F-15K/SEs to deliver these heavy munitions over a long range(ie East China Sea). Now that there is a shortage of heavy long-range strike platform, the KFX must bear the burdern of long range oceanic strike and this was instrumental in pushing the C103 through the opposition of Lockheed lobby(Lockheed has a massive lobby operation in Korea) and bean counters.
It's especially ridiculous, as the F-15SE was the only aircraft to achieve all of the ROK's stated requirements. But Lockheed Martin is a master of breaking requirements, yet still getting the sale. See original JSF competition... While Boeing needs to grow a pair and learn to promote itself properly.
Deletehttp://youtu.be/zpFkYmwh0SQ
ReplyDeletehttp://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201408040032
ReplyDeleteMitsubishi Heavy won't supply parts for F-35 fighter project
August 04, 2014
By KUNIICHI TANIDA/ Staff Writer
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. decided not to supply parts to an international project to manufacture F-35 stealth fighters for the second straight year because of a disagreement with the Defense Ministry over investment.
The company asked the government to shoulder the investment required to produce the fighters for foreign clients, but the Defense Ministry refused, ministry sources said.
Mitsubishi Heavy’s participation in the project as a parts supplier now remains “nowhere in sight,” according to a senior Defense Ministry official, meaning that the program will likely be drastically scaled down.