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.
