[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Accelerated Additional Purchase of F-35

US Congress Approves Additional F-35 Sales to Korea
Air Force to Possess Over 60 F-35s by 2028
Includes Technology Transfer and Equipment Worth 6.7 Trillion Won

On the 13th (local time), the U.S. government provisionally approved the sale of up to 25 F-35 fighter jets to South Korea, accelerating the additional acquisition of F-35A stealth fighters by the Republic of Korea Air Force, which had been delayed during the Moon Jae-in administration. For the U.S. to finalize the sale of the F-35 fighters, approval from the U.S. Congress is required.

On the 1st, in celebration of Armed Forces Day, the F-35A, unveiled to the public for the first time, is on display at the '71st Armed Forces Day event' held at Daegu Air Base (11th Fighter Wing) in Daegu. Photo by Joint Press Corps, Daegu

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) under the U.S. Department of Defense announced on the same day that it had provisionally approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of F-35 fighters and related equipment to South Korea for $5.06 billion (approximately 6.7 trillion KRW). Accordingly, South Korean military authorities plan to aim not only for the additional acquisition of F-35As but also for technology transfer and equipment provision from the U.S. Currently, the Republic of Korea Air Force operates 40 F-35A fighters.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held the 150th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee meeting in March and approved the F-X Phase 2 project to acquire 20 F-35A stealth fighters. The funds to be invested from this year until 2028 amount to approximately 3.94 trillion KRW.

The military expects that minimizing the power gap caused by the retirement of aging fighters in the Air Force and reinforcing the core forces of the ‘Kill Chain’ will enable deterrence against all-around threats and rapid neutralization of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities in case of emergency.

Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, warned during a speech commemorating the Defense Development Exhibition that South Korea’s military modernization efforts have become overtly excessive, specifically cautioning against the acquisition of “stealth joint strike fighters,” i.e., the F-35A fighters.

Lockheed Martin Suspected of Non-Compliance with Offset Trade in Phase 1 Project

The F-X Phase 2 project underwent preliminary research and requirements verification in 2018-19. However, it was postponed in 2020 due to prioritizing the project for shipborne (F-35B-class) fighters. At that time, some speculated that the Moon Jae-in administration was delaying the project due to concerns about North Korea.

Military authorities are reportedly pursuing ‘offset trade’ benefits such as technology transfer and equipment provision during the additional acquisition of F-35As. In the earlier F-X Phase 1 project, the U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin had agreed to support the development of military communication satellites but the deal fell through, drawing criticism as a ‘humiliating diplomacy’ failure.

Through this project, the Ministry of National Defense was to receive support from Lockheed Martin for the development of a total of five military communication satellites as part of offset trade (where the arms-exporting country provides benefits such as technology transfer to the importing country). According to the contract, Lockheed Martin was supposed to provide about 400 billion KRW to Airbus, which is developing the launch vehicle, thereby supporting South Korea’s satellite launch project. However, Lockheed Martin unilaterally notified the suspension of the project, citing inability to bear the satellite project costs alone, and the related project was ultimately halted in August 2015.

There are allegations that when DAPA decided to relaunch the military communication satellite project, which was on the verge of cancellation, it signed a third revised Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Lockheed Martin. The problem lies in the contents of the MOA. It reportedly waived a 30 billion KRW penalty for delayed performance of the offset trade and stipulated that the price reduction of the F-35 airframe, decided in 2020, would be used for the communication satellite production costs. Ultimately, this means not only violating regulations by granting penalty waivers but also effectively purchasing the military communication satellites, which should have been received free of charge, at a cost.

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