KAI KF-X
The KAI KF-X is a joint South Korean and Indonesian fighter aircraft development program with the goal of producing an advanced multirole fighter for the South Korean and Indonesian air forces. The program is lead by South Korea, which holds 80% of shares. Indonesia joined in 2010 for 20%, and the remainder is held by private partners including manufacturer Korean Aerospace Industries. The KAI KF-X is South Korea's second domestic fighter jet development program, following the FA-50.
The KF-X development program is also known as Boramae, and in Indonesia is sometimes referred to as IF-X. prototypes are under construction with the first of these expected to be completed by mid-2021. The first test flight is anticipated in 2022, with manufacturing scheduled to begin in 2026. South Korea expects to deploy 120 of the aircraft into service by 2032.
Background
The KF-X advanced multirole jet fighter project, intended to produce modern warplanes to replace South Korea's aging F-4D/E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft, was first announced in March 2001 by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung at a graduation ceremony of the Korea Air Force Academy. Research and development requirements were determined by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2002. The project was felt to be extremely ambitious, with the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses doubtful of the country's ability to complete the complicated project. The development phase had numerous delays and postponements and its economic cost was debated, but the project received renewed interest following a 2008 feasibility study and attacks by North Korea in 2010. Although the project carried risks and the expected per-unit cost would be significantly higher than purchasing from foreign manufacturers, the development of the domestic defense industry was deemed to be of national importance and was expected to have a ripple effect on high-tech industries.On 15 July 2010, a partnership was made with Indonesia, which would provide 20% of the funding for the KF-X project, cooperate with technological development through state-owned Indonesian Aerospace, and purchase 50 of the approximately 150–200 aircraft anticipated to be produced. Turkey had also considering joining with a 20% share, but wanted more control than South Korea had offered. The South Korean government committed to 60% of the cost. The remaining 20% was provided by domestic and foreign companies. Korean Aerospace Industries won the production bid, and partnered with Lockheed Martin for technological support. The contract formed a plan for delivery of the aircraft to begin in 2026.
In Indonesia, the project is referred to as IF-X or IFX. The Jakarta Globe reported that the completed aircraft will receive the designation F-33. The project is also called Boramae, Korean for "hawk", the symbol of the Korean Air Force Academy.
Design and development
The initial goal for the program was to develop a single-seat twin-engine fifth-generation jet fighter with stealth capabilities exceeding both the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon but less than those of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The Weapon Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University advised that the KF-X should be superior to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, with 50% greater combat range, 34% longer airframe lifespan, better avionics, active electronically scanned array radar, more-effective electronic warfare, and data link capabilities. Their recommentations also specified approximately of thrust from two engines, supersonic interception and cruising capabilities, and multi-role capabilities. The project requirements were later downgraded by the Republic of Korea Air Force to a 4.5-generation fighter with limited stealth capabilities.South Korea possessed 63% of the necessary technology to produce the KF-X, and sought cooperation from other countries. To facilitate a technology transfer, the Agency for Defense Development proposed two primary concepts for the KF-X: C103, which resembled the F-35; and C203, which resembled European fighters with forward canards. The C501 was a third design, proposed by KAI and supported by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, which attempted to reduce costs with a smaller, single-engine fighter, but it had inferior performance to the F-16 and was unsuitable for the large airspace of Indonesia. ROKAF preferred the benefits of a twin-engine design, with better combat performance and safety, and a larger airframe with room for upgrades. These upgrades could lead to a future reclassification as a fifth-generation fighter, while the C501 was closer to fourth generation.
In 2014, the C103 configuration was chosen and Lockheed Martin agreed to transfer two dozen F-35A technologies as part of a purchase deal. However, the US government blocked the transfer of four vital technologies: AESA radar, infrared search and track, electro-optical target tracking devices, and radio jammer technology. South Korea was thus required to develop these technologies domestically. A 2015 audit estimated that 87% of technologies for the project had been secured. The preliminary design was finalized in June 2018. In September 2019, a critical design review examined 390 technical data sets and confirmed that the KF-X was adequate to ROKAF's requirements.
| KAI KFX-E | ADD C103 | ADD / KAI C105 | ADD / KAI C109 | |
| Empty weight | 9,300 kg | 10,900 kg | 11,100 kg | 11,800 kg |
| Max weight | 20,900 kg | 24,000 kg | 24,500 kg | 25,400 kg |
| Internal fuel | 3,600 kg | 5,400 kg | 5,400 kg | 5,400 kg |
| Wingspan | 9.8 metres | 10.7 metres | 11.0 metres | 11.2 metres |
| Length | 15.2 metres | 15.7 metres | 16.0 metres | 16.9 metres |
| Wing area | ||||
| Engine | 1 × P&W F100 or GE F110 | 2 × EJ200 or GE F414 | 2 × GE F414 | 2 × GE F414 |
| Hardpoints | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Weapons bay | - | Space provided | Space provision | Space provision |
| Estimated cost | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Budget
R&D expenditures
A 2015 government audit placed the development cost of the project at 8.8 trillion South Korean won. In an agreement signed at the end of 2015, Indonesia agreed to provide 20% of the development costs, KAI would provide an additional 20%, and the Korean government would support the remainder.| Calendar Year | Expenditures on R&D | Total | Ref | - |
| Calendar Year | Korea | Total | Ref | Indonesia |
| 2011 2012 | bn | bn | bn |
Indonesian investment
On 15 July 2010, the Indonesian government agreed to fund 20% of the KF-X project cost in return for one prototype, design participation, technical data, and production sharing. On 2 August 2011, a joint research center was opened in Daejeon, South Korea.In November 2017, Indonesia, through state-owned Indonesia Aerospace, failed to pay its share in the latest round of development costs, prompting criticism from South Korea. As of 2019, Indonesia was renegotiating its involvement in the program. FlightGlobal reported in July 2019 that Indonesia was exploring payment in Indonesia-produced armaments instead of cash. By July 2019, Indonesia was approximately billion in arrears.
Project partners
While KAI was the primary builder, numerous other domestic and foreign companies were contracted to provide aircraft components or support. Several of these firms had worked with KAI on the T-50. For certain sensitive technologies, foreign companies only consulted for testing support in order to avoid arms-trading restrictions.Hanwha Techwin signed an agreement with GE to manufacture General Electric F414 engines for KF-X aircraft. According to the contract, Hanwha is to manufacture key parts, locally assemble the engines, and oversee the installation of the engine on the aircraft. The company will also support flight testing and build an extensive support system for the aircraft's operations.
A Defense News report stated that the AESA radar would be a particular challenge; it was developed by Hanwha Systems with assistance from other domestic firms and support from foreign companies. Elta Systems helped to test the prototype AESA, and Saab worked with LIG Nex1 on software development and evaluation.
In addition to working on the AESA, LIG Nex1 is to develop a radio jammer.
US aerospace contractor Texstars was selected by KAI to develop canopy and windshield transparencies for KF-X. Under the contract, Texstars will work alongside KAI to provide the KF-X fighter with birdstrike resistant transparencies with high-quality optics.
Triumph Group was selected by KAI to provide airframe mounted accessory drives for the KF-X. Triumph will develop and manufacture the AMADs, which transfer engine power to other systems.
, a subsidiary of Héroux-Devtek, was contracted to develop the emergency braking system.
United Technologies announced in February 2018 that it was providing the environmental control system, including cabin pressurization and liquid cooling systems, as well as the air turbine starter and flow control valve.
Martin-Baker was contracted to provide the Mk18 ejection seat escape mechanism.
Cobham received contracts to provide missile ejection launchers, communications antennae, external fuel tanks, and oxygen systems.
Meggitt was contracted to provide a wheel braking system, standby flight displays, and internal sensors including a fire detection system.
MBDA was contracted to integrate the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile onto the aircraft.
Elbit Systems was contracted by Hanwha Systems to provide terrain-following/terrain avoidance systems for the aircraft.
Curtiss-Wright was contracted by KAI to Provide complete flight test instrumentation system, it is data acquisition system for use in flight-test campaigns.
Prototypes
In February 2019, KAI began production work on the KF-X prototype, with six expected to be completed in 2021. These are to undergo four years of trials, and complete the development process by mid-2026. DAPA anticipated a first test flight in 2022.Controversies
Foreign bribery allegations
In October 2009, a retired ROKAF general was arrested for leaking classified documents to Saab. The general was alleged to have been given a bribe of several hundred thousand won for copies of a number of secret documents that he had photographed. Saab officials denied any involvement.The Defense Security Command found evidence that another foreign defense firm had also bribed a member of the Security Management Institute. President Lee Myung-bak believed that such corruption resulted in a 20% increase in the defense budget.
Opposition
KIDA told a public meeting that South Korea is not technologically equipped to develop the KF-X aircraft, that the project is economically unviable and that the KF-X would not be a successful export product. It also questioned the ADD cost estimates. DAPA's estimated trillion development cost was criticized by some analysts, who said the project could cost up to trillion.Defense researcher Lee Juhyeong held a seminar on the program, stating that the KF-X development would cost more than trillion and could cost more than twice as much as an imported aircraft over the life of the program.
Critics noted that the KF-X would cost up to twice as much as a top-end F-16 model and that Japan had encountered a similar situation with its F-2.
EADS funding pullout
On 23 May 2013, EADS offered a US$2 billion investment into the KF-X program if South Korea selected its Eurofighter Typhoon for the F-X Phase 3 fighter procurement program. The F-35A was selected instead, and EADS repeated its investment offer for a split-buy of 40 Eurofighters and 20 F-35As. But in September 2017, South Korea confirmed purchased of 40 F-35 fighter jets, causing EADS to withdraw its offer.Postponements and delays
The KF-X project had a history of delays and postponements since its announcement in 2001. Foreign partners were sought to share costs and guarantee purchases, and several failed attempts were made to entice Sweden, Turkey, and the United States to join the project. Design concepts and requirements frequently changed while trying to appeal to prospective partners. On 1 March 2013, following the election of President Park Geun-hye, South Korea postponed the project for 18 months, due to financial issues.On 8 February 2017, Indonesian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir said that the KF-X project was further delayed because the US government had refused export licenses for four key F-35 technologies. This disapproval was reaffirmed in October 2015 talks, though the US military stated that there was an agreement to form an interagency working group on such issues and that the US Secretary of Defense would "think of ways for joint cooperation" with technology for KF-X.
On 1 November 2017, state-owned Indonesia Aerospace was overdue in its funding payment, which National Assembly Defense Committee member Kim Jong-Dae said would further delay or suspend the project. Kim said that the Indonesian government had disclosed its difficulty in paying and did not include the payment in its budget. However, DAPA stated that it was in talks with Indonesia regarding the payment, which would be discussed at a summit between leaders of the countries. Indonesia stated that it was an administrative error, as it was falsely thought that the payment would be made from the "side defense budget". Parliamentary approval was required to correct the error, and the payment was delivered along with a statement of hope that the program would continue without further delinquencies.
Indonesian renegotiation
On 1 May 2018, it was reported that Indonesia had complaints concerning the contract rules surrounding technical benefits and export licensing. Indonesian state media announced that the defense ministry would renegotiate the joint development program in an attempt to gain a larger share of local production, as well as export rights. The Indonesian defense ministry added that it hoped that the program would continue despite setbacks.Renegotiation talks continued into 2019. According to the agenda of a January 2019 meeting, Indonesia sought to extend its involvement in the program to 2031, and was interested in making part of its payments in trade for Indonesian-produced defense equipment. By August, Indonesia had transport aircraft on offer along with commodities.