PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC
South Korea is to decide shortly on its choice of future F-X fighter and with a $4 billion order for 40 fighters hanging in the balance, competition is intense. Bidders are vying to fill two critical criteria - a South Korean air force requirement for a long-range strike capability, while Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) is eyeing the F-X as a technology building block on which it hopes to develop the country's first indigenous fighter.
The South Korean air force has no shortage of lightweight fighters in the form of either licence-built Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds or older Northrop Grumman F-5E/Fs with which to face down nearby North Korea. Seoul has now begun to focus attention on potential threats beyond the Korean peninsula, but there is little in the inventory capable of projecting power, aside perhaps from an ageing fleet of McDonnell Douglas F-4D/Es in growing need of replacement.
The South Korean air force baseline specification is for a twin-engine fighter, capable of Mach 1.8 in clean configuration with the design flexibility for multi-role missions in addition to long-range interdiction strike. Specific mission needs include the range and endurance to remain on station for up to 30min at the edge of the country's air defence identification zone. This encompasses the Tokdo/Takeshima Islands, 280km (174 miles) offshore and claimed by both Seoul and Tokyo.
South Korea has stipulated an in-flight refuelling capability, but is waiting on the final F-X selection before deciding between either a probe-and-drogue and/or boom-equipped configured tanker. The four shortlisted fighters all include the provision for additional range, such as the 5,500litre (1,450USgal) conformal tank offered as part of the Boeing F-15K Eagle package, or in the form of two 2,000litre underwing tanks on the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The air force is planning an initial buy of 26 single-seat and 14 dual-seat configured fighters, with initial deliveries in 2004. Boeing claims to have the edge on its two European competitors in this respect in having a fully operational fighter readily configured for either single and tandem-seat available within the laid-down timeframe. Neither the Dassault Rafale nor Typhoon will have a full air-to-ground capability ahead of 2005/6, while the the Sukhoi Su-35 is considered an outside player.
Eurofighter and Dassault both contend they are offering newer generation aircraft just now entering operational service, whereas the F-15K is based on a design first fielded by the US Air Force in 1974. The Europeans have sought to entice the South Korean air force with a list of planned incremental enhancements such as an uprated Snecma M88-3 engine and Thales electro-optical system for Rafale. The Typhoon future roadmap includes conformal tanks, a new generation targeting pod and a passive automatic terrain following system. The latter is a baseline South Koran air force requirement.
Boeing, in response, is stressing that the F-15E will remain a fully operational part of the US weapon inventory to 2030 and beyond. The South Korean Eagle will feature several improvements which have caught the attention of the USAF, such as a new radar warning receiver, jammer and Lockheed Martin Tiger Eyes electro-optic package encompassing a third generation forward looking infra-red, search and track and targeting pod. The USAF is starting to outline a mid-life update, at the heart of which would be an active electronically steerable array radar to replace theF-15K's Raytheon APG-63(V)1 radar.
The South Korean air force has asked for an accompanying package of advanced weapons, with Washington offering for the first time the Boeing SLAM-ER and Europe the Matra BAE System Storm Shadow/Apache stand-off weapon.
The air-to-air arena has proven more controversial with the USA refusing to equip Rafale with the Raytheon AIM-120C AMRAAM and only reluctantly consenting to Typhoon as the result of a previous integration deal with the four Eurofighter nations. Still unclear is South Korean access to GPS, IFF and multifunction information distribution system data for a non-US fighter.
South Korea had originally asked for a 30% offset package against the F-X and in April raised this to 70% to accommodate KAI, but in reality competition has driven most bids up to around 100%. Seoul is intent on leveraging off the F-X to develop an indigenous fighter by 2015, much as it used offset from F-16 Korean Fighter Programme to launch the KTX-2, now redesignated T/A-50.
Commercially sensitive bidders are circumspect about detailing technology transfer, but the common thread that has emerged comprises varying offers to assist with design and testing of airframe, engine systems and sub-systems. Other areas of local industry interest include the manufacturer of new composite materials and development of radar and integrated avionics. Talks are at the best and final stage with the aim of having four contracts in place for the Seoul airshow and one signed next month.
Source: Flight International
