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Mon, January 25, 2021 | 16:27
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DAPA to sign KF-X contract with KAI
KF-X사업 기술이전 논란속 28일 본계약 체결…사업 본격화
Posted : 2015-12-24 17:07
Updated : 2015-12-24 21:28
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By Jun Ji-hye

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will sign a contract with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) early next week to continue development of the nation's first indigenous fighter jet, officials said Thursday.

The contract comes after the U.S. government approved the transfer of 21 technologies used in Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter to Korea. These technologies will be crucial to the jet's development.

"Negotiations between DAPA and KAI have proceeded well," said a DAPA official, on condition of anonymity. "The contract is expected to be signed around Dec. 28."

The KF-X project is aimed at developing fighter jets equipped with state-of-the-art aviation electronics equipment by 2025 to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s.

The formal contract reportedly includes the production of six prototypes by 2025.

KAI, the nation's sole aircraft maker, was selected as the preferred bidder for the project over Korean Air in March this year.

DAPA and the company have been engaged in negotiations regarding performance, cost and schedules for the project, said the official.

Developing the fighter is estimated to cost 8.5 trillion won, with an additional 10 trillion won needed to produce 120 jets by 2032.

The official said that the formal contract will be based on a tentative deal signed between KAI and Indonesia on Nov. 22, under which the Southeast Asian country will pay 20 percent of the total cost for the project.

Under the deal, Jakarta will invest some 1.7 trillion won in the project and will participate in the process of design and component production. It will also acquire one prototype and technology data afterward.

DAPA said it is stepping up efforts to push ahead with the program as scheduled, including launching a task force on Jan. 1 that will manage the program. The task force will be composed of some 70 to 80 people with its head selected from outside experts, the official said.

On Nov. 30, the U.S. agreed on transferring the 21 technologies in a "large frame," setting the stage to kick-start the stalled program.

The announcement of the signing of the formal contract and the latest agreement between Seoul and Washington appeared, to some extent, to ease mounting skepticism regarding the project.

Skepticism about the feasibility of the KF-X program deepened after the U.S. government refused in April to allow Lockheed to hand over four core technologies, including the active electronically scanned array radar, to Korea for security reasons.

A transfer of a total of 25 technologies was included in an offset deal with Lockheed in return for Korea's purchase of 40 F-35s, signed in September last year.

Such skepticism even led to calls to take the KF-X program back to square one and cancel the F-35 deal, if necessary.

However, some critics still voice concerns about the U.S.' possibly withholding some of the technologies, while DAPA and Lockheed are planning to hold additional negotiations to list in detail the technologies that Korea needs to receive because of the hundreds of technical components in the 21.


Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye


KF-X사업 기술이전 논란속 28일 본계약 체결…사업 본격화

'방사청-KAI, 리스크 분담 방안 등 합의'…2025년까지 시제기 6대 생산

한국형 전투기(KF-X) 개발사업의 본계약이 오는 28일께 체결될 것으로 알려졌다.

방위사업청 관계자는 24일 'KF-X 사업 본계약을 위한 협상이 잘 진행되고 있다'며 '오는 28일쯤 본계약 체결이 가능할 것으로 보인다'고 밝혔다.

방사청과 한국항공우주산업(KAI)은 KF-X 사업 본계약을 체결한 이후 본격적으로 사업을 착수할 계획이다.

본계약은 KAI가 지난달 22일 인도네시아 측과 체결한 가계약을 토대로 이뤄진다. 가계약은 인도네시아 측이 KF-X 개발 비용의 20%를 부담한다는 것을 골자로 한다.

방사청과 KAI의 본계약에는 KF-X 개발 목표연도인 2025년까지 시제기 6대를 생산한다는 내용도 담을 것으로 알려졌다.

방사청과 KAI는 현재 진행 중인 본계약 체결을 위한 협상에서 KF-X 사업의 리스크를 완화하는 방안을 집중적으로 논의 중인 것으로 전해졌다.

KAI의 한 관계자는 '양측이 KF-X 사업의 리스크를 적절히 분담하는 방안을 두고 대체로 만족할만한 결과에 도달했다'고 설명했다.

내년 한 해 동안 KF-X 사업에 투입될 예산이 670억원으로 삭감되면서 재정적 압박이 클 것이란 전망도 있다. 특히 사업 일정이 늦춰질 경우 투자금 환수 차질 뿐 아니라 국민 세금이 추가로 투입되는 것 아니냐는 우려도 제기돼왔다.

이 때문에 방사청과 KAI 간에 KF-X 사업 리스크 분담을 어떤 식으로 합의하느냐에 따라 새로운 논란이 불거질 가능성도 커 보인다.

방사청은 이달 초 미국 측이 KF-X 21개 기술항목을 '큰 틀'에서 이전해 주겠다고 밝힌 이후 KF-X 개발을 전담할 사업단 구성을 위한 법적 절차에 착수하는 등 사업 진행에 속도를 내고 있다.

KF-X 사업단은 70∼80명 규모로, 내년 1월 1일 출범할 것으로 알려졌다. 사업단장은 공모를 거쳐 외부 전문가가 영입될 예정이다.

그러나 KF-X 사업이 진척되면서 미국 측의 기술 이전이 제대로 안 될 경우 언제든지 논란은 재연될 수 있다. 미국 측이 21개 기술항목 이전 방침을 밝히면서도 '큰 틀에서'라는 모호한 단서를 붙여 세부적인 항목에서 진통이 예상되기 때문이다.

방사청 관계자는 ''큰 틀에서'라는 단서는 KF-X의 설계가 구체화하는 데 따라 우리 측이 요구하는 세부 항목도 달라질 수 있으므로 여지를 둔 것'이라며 '21개 기술을 이전받는 데는 문제가 없다'고 말했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailjjh@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter









 
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