[Defense Interview] Lang Korea Branch Manager "Equip F-35B on Light Aircraft Carrier"

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Biden administration in the United States plans to change its arms export policy to emphasize human rights. This means revising the policy of former President Donald Trump, who actively pursued arms exports from an economic perspective. The Biden administration's Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) policy is expected to be officially announced as early as September. Despite changes in the Biden administration's arms export policy, the South Korean market remains attractive to American defense company Lockheed Martin. This is because South Korea's security environment differs from countries like the Philippines, criticized by human rights groups for excessive police force, or Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are accused of civilian massacres due to involvement in the Yemen civil war. We met Robert Lang, head of Lockheed Martin Korea, to discuss the South Korean market.

Before becoming the head of the Korea branch, Lang was responsible for the Asia-Pacific rotary-wing aircraft business in Singapore. While developing new business, he deepened his understanding of the South Korean market. At that time, the Republic of Korea Air Force was conducting next-generation projects. In 2014, the ROK Air Force decided to procure 40 F-35A aircraft for 7.4 trillion won. This was a large-scale project for Lockheed Martin as well.

Regarding the selection of next-generation fighter jets to be deployed on the light aircraft carrier operated by the ROK Navy, Lang said, “The final delivery of the F-35 to the ROK Air Force is expected to be completed by early 2022.” He added, “As you know, the next-generation fighter procurement project is an intergovernmental contract, but from a manufacturer’s perspective, I am confident that the F-35 is the most advanced multi-role fifth-generation fighter jet that can strengthen national security and global partnerships while driving economic growth.”

There are a total of eight countries worldwide operating aircraft carriers, including the United States and China, and four countries, including Australia and Turkey, operate light aircraft carrier-class amphibious assault ships. Among countries currently operating or planning to build light aircraft carriers, six countries? the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain?are seeking to acquire the F-35B.

As a fifth-generation fighter jet in the F-35 series, it naturally features stealth capabilities. In particular, the F-35B developed by the American company Lockheed Martin boasts a radar cross-section (RCS) of only 0.0005 square meters, compared to China’s J-15 (fourth generation) which has an RCS of 4 square meters. RCS refers to the area that reflects radar signals back to the enemy when they attempt to detect our fighter jets; the smaller this area, the harder it is for the enemy to detect our aircraft.

Lang emphasized that the PAC-3 air defense system can enhance the ROK military’s air defense capabilities. He stated, “Lockheed Martin has successfully completed interception tests of the upgraded Patriot PAC-3 missile defense system and will further strengthen the ROK military’s air defense capabilities.”

The PAC-3 mentioned by Lang successfully passed an interception test last July at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, USA. The new model, PAC-3 MSE missile, is equipped with a dual-pulse solid rocket motor, significantly extending its effective interception range. It is also known to have improved flight control capabilities through upgraded thrust vectoring and larger control fins. The PAC-3 MSE missile has been procured not only by the United States and South Korea but also by countries such as Qatar, Japan, Romania, Poland, the UAE, Sweden, Bahrain, and Germany.

Lang also expressed interest in the ROK military’s large transport aircraft project. The ROK military plans to invest 480 billion won from next year until 2026 to procure a second batch of large transport aircraft. Candidate models include the American Lockheed Martin C-130J-30, the European Airbus A400M, and the Brazilian Embraer KC-390.

Lang said, “The ROK Air Force currently operates the C-130J transport aircraft, and if additional large transport aircraft are procured, efficient operation can be achieved at a reasonable program cost.” He added, “Currently, the C-130J has flown over 2 million hours across 22 countries, proving it is a reliable model.”

Lang also mentioned participation in the second phase of the MH-60R Seahawk maritime operational helicopter project. Last year, the ROK military selected Lockheed Martin’s MH-60R through a competitive bidding process. The MH-60R is operated by more than 320 units worldwide and has been adopted by seven countries including the United States, Denmark, Australia, Saudi Arabia, India, and Greece.

Lang explained, “The MH-60R is the most suitable platform for maritime operations requiring anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities and will enhance the ROK Navy’s multi-mission operational capabilities.”

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