Air Force Accelerates Deployment of Latest Fighter Jets

On the 14th, a model of the Korean fighter jet KFX was unveiled at the 'Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition 2019 Media Day' held at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. / Seongnam - Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The final assembly work for the Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-X) has begun five years after its development started. The first public unveiling is scheduled for the first half of next year. The introduction of the F-35A stealth fighter jets, which had been delayed due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), also resumed last month, accelerating the deployment of the latest fighter jets to protect the airspace over the Korean Peninsula.

According to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) on the 3rd, the first prototype of the KF-X began final assembly from this day and is expected to be unveiled in the first half of next year. Final assembly involves combining the major components of the aircraft, such as the completed forward fuselage, main wings and center fuselage, and rear fuselage. This milestone comes about five years after the full-scale development began in December 2015. Among the major components, the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, known as the "eyes of the fighter," was developed domestically, with a prototype delivered last month and now undergoing final assembly. The military plans to complete development by 2026 after approximately five years of ground and flight testing.

The KF-X will also be equipped with domestically developed Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM), which are classified as strategic weapons under the "three major nuclear umbrella forces." The United States has pledged to provide a nuclear umbrella to South Korea and has dispatched long-range bombers such as the B-52 equipped with ALCMs or the stealth strategic bomber B-2 to the Korean Peninsula whenever North Korea provokes.

The introduction of the latest stealth fighter, the F-35A, has also resumed. The military initially planned to acquire 13 units last year, 13 this year, and 14 next year. However, the acquisition was temporarily halted starting in February due to the escalating COVID-19 crisis. The procurement resumed last month, and currently, 20 units have been delivered. The F-35A is a strategic asset that North Korea is highly sensitive about because it can covertly infiltrate enemy territory and strike nuclear and ICBM facilities or war command centers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.