Four F-35A Jets Arrive in Korea... Deployment of 40 Units Completed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]Four F-35A stealth fighters arrived at Cheongju Air Base on the 25th. All 40 units have been deployed over the course of 3 years and 10 months.

According to military officials on the 27th, the 40 F-35A units, sequentially introduced from the United States under the first phase of the next-generation fighter (FX) project, were scheduled to be fully delivered by the end of last year. However, flight schedules were reportedly somewhat delayed due to the impact of COVID-19 and other factors.

Previously, the government selected Lockheed Martin's F-35A as the next-generation fighter model and has been sequentially introducing 40 units starting with the first unit in March 2018. Approximately 7.77 trillion KRW was invested in the budget.

The F-35A is an advanced fighter jet that integrates information from all sensors onboard into a single fused system, providing the pilot with optimal information. It is equipped with stealth capabilities, electronic warfare functions, and an integrated avionics system. Its maximum speed is Mach 1.6, and its combat radius reaches 1,093 km.

In particular, its stealth function allows it to covertly infiltrate enemy territory and deliver devastating strikes on critical targets such as nuclear and missile facilities and war command centers, which caused North Korea to react sensitively from the early stages of its introduction.

The currently introduced F-35As have been grounded. Earlier this month, one of the previously introduced F-35As made a belly landing due to a landing gear malfunction, and an investigation is underway. At that time, there was a 'bird strike' near the left engine intake.

Regarding this, an Air Force official stated, "The related investigation is currently ongoing, and the U.S. investigation team is scheduled to arrive early next month."

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