ALLAH NAMES

Saturday, March 12, 2011

KAI KF-X

KF-X
A model of the KAI KF-X-201 design
Role Multirole Fighter
Manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries
Indonesian Aerospace
Introduced Designated to be approximately 2020
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.[1] 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 2001. 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 2020.[2][3]

Contents

  • 1 Design and development
  • 2 Specifications

Design and development

According to the Weapon Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University, the KF-X is intended to be a superior than 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 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, 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.[4] 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.[5] The cost of each KF-X aircraft is estimated to be roughly $50 million.[6][7]
In October 2009 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.[8][9][10]
On 15 July 2010, 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.[11] In September 2010, Indonesia sent a team of legal and aviation experts to South Korea to discuss copyright issues of the aircraft.[12]
On 7 September 2010, 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.[13][5]
On 15 December 2010, a senior Turkish procurement official said that "What we need is a true and equal partnership for the development of a fighter. The problem is that South Korea is not likely to agree to an equal partnership".[14]
In December 2010 the program shifted from a F-16 class fighter to a stealth aircraft in order to respond to North Korean pressure.[15]

Specifications

  • Crew: 1
  • Thrust: about 50,000 lbf
  • Avionics
    • Datalink capabilities
    • AESA radar
    • IRST

No comments:

Post a Comment