Korea has developed the core technology for radar-evading stealth fighters and is preparing for a test flight of a fighter equipped with the technology, Yonhap news agency reported Monday.
It has been nine years since the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and other local defense research institutes began developing stealth fighter technology in 1999, the agency quoted defense officials as saying.
The ADD successfully conducted a test flight of a miniature fighter equipped with the technology late last year, Yonhap quoted an official saying who, refused to reveal whether the core technology is based on a
coating or an alloy.
The ADD is preparing for a test flight of an F-4 fighter equipped with the technology, the agency said.
South Korea has a plan to begin purchasing up to 60 stealth fighter jets, like F-22s or F-35s, in 2012 for deployment until 2019.