KAI KF-X 201

Role : Multirole Fighter

Manufacturer : Korea Aerospace Industries

Indonesian : Aerospace

Introduction : Designated to be approximately 2.020

Status : In development

Primary user : Republic of Korea Air Force

Indonesian Air Force

The Korea Aerospace Industries KF-X is a South Korean program to develop an advanced multirole fighter for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), spearheaded by South Korea with Indonesia as the primary partner.

It is South Korea's second fighter development program following the FA-50.

The project was first announced by South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung at the graduation ceremony of the Air Force Academy in March 2.001.

South Korea and Indonesia had agreed to cooperate in the production of KF-X warplanes in Seoul on July 15, 2.010.

The initial operational requirements for the KF-X program as stated by the ADD (Agency for Defence Development) were to develop a single-seat, twin-engine jet with stealth capabilities beyond either the Dassault Rafale or Eurofighter Typhoon, but still less than the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

The overall focus of the program is producing a fighter with higher capabilities than a KF-16 class fighter by 2.020.

Design and development

According to the Weapon Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University, the KF-X is intended to be superior than the KF-16, which would replace South Korea's aging F-4D/E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft, with production numbers estimated to be over 250 aircraft.

Compared to KF-16, the KF-X will have a 50% greater combat radius, 34% longer airframe lifespan, better avionics including a domestically produced AESA radar, and better electronic warfare, IRST, and datalink capabilities.

Operational requirements also specify approx 50,000 pounds of thrust provided by one or preferably two engines, high-speed interception and supercruise capabilities, basic stealth technology, and multirole capabilities.

There are currently two competing designs for the KFX, the KFX-201 which has a tri-plane layout with canards and a more conventional, Single Engine F-35 style KFX-101 design.

South Korea will fund 60% of the aircraft's development, and expects foreign partners to provide the remaining 40% of the development funding.

South Korea possesses 63% of the necessary technology to produce the KF-X, and is therefore seeking cooperation from Indonesian Aerospace, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Saab, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin to develop the KF-X. About 120 KF-Xs would be built initially and more than 130 aircraft would be produced additionally after the first-phase models reach operational capability.

The cost of each KF-X aircraft is estimated to be roughly $50 million +.

In October 2.009 a retired general in the South Korean Air Force was arrested for leaking classified documents to Swedish aviation and defence corporation Saab.

The general was to have been given a bribe of several hundred thousand dollars for copies of a number of secret documents that he had photographed in the South Korean Defence University.

Saab officials denied any involvement.

On 15 July 2.010, the Indonesia government agreed to fund 20% of KF-X project cost in return of around 50 planes built for Indonesian Air Force after project completion.

In September 2.010, Indonesia sent a team of legal and aviation experts to South Korea to discuss copyright issues of the aircraft.

On 7 September 2.010, Maj. Gen. Choi Cha-kyu, director general of the aircraft program bureau at the Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said that Turkey was interested in joining the program.