South Korea has officially selected the F-35 joint strike fighter as it's next air platform. (Lockheed Martin)
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WASHINGTON — The Republic of Korea has officially selected the F-35 as its next-generation fighter, the government announced this morning.
The country has agreed to purchase 40 of the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing design, with first delivery planned for 2018. South Korea becomes the third foreign military sales customer for the F-35, joining Israel and Japan. There are eight other international partners on the program.
“We are honored by and appreciate the trust and confidence the Republic of Korea has placed in the 5th generation F-35 to meet its demanding security requirements,” Orlando Carvalho, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics executive vice president, said in a company press release. “This decision strengthens and extends our long-standing security partnership while enhancing regional stability across the greater Asia Pacific theater.”
The selection of the F-35 over Boeing’s F-15SE and Eurofighter’s Typhoon had been widely expected, with sources indicating in November that the F-35 had been selected to replace South Korea’s older F-4 and F-5 fighter fleet.
The fighter selection is the first part of a massive recapitalization effort underway by the Republic of Korea Air Force. The service is also aiming to award a contract on a new tanker before the end of the year, and also expects to begin development on its own indigenous fighter design.■
Email: amehta@defensenews.com.
