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Mon, March 8, 2021 | 02:45
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Korea starts KF-X fighter development
'한국형 전투기' 개발 공식 착수…2021년 시제기 6대 나온다
Posted : 2016-01-21 17:23
Updated : 2016-01-21 21:07
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An artist's concept of KF-X fighter
An artist's concept of KF-X fighter

6 prototypes will be produced by 2021


By Jun Ji-hye

Korea officially kicked off a project to develop indigenous high-tech fighter jets, Thursday, with the goal of producing six prototypes by 2021 and completing development by 2026.

Officials from all entities involved held their first meeting at the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the main contractor, in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

They are the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin, the Indonesian Defense Ministry and Indonesia's state-run defense firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI).

The government plans to spend 8.5 trillion won in the development of the KF-X, and an additional 10 trillion won to produce 120 jets by 2032 to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s.

DAPA said the nation will domestically develop some 90 items necessary for the aircraft, including the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and electronic optics targeting pod (EOTGP), which the U.S. government earlier refused to hand over to Korea for security reasons.

"Our goal is to localize 65 percent of the components for the aircraft," DAPA said in a release.

The project will also proceed with the help of Lockheed Martin which will transfer 21 technologies used in the F-35 stealth fighter. In early December, the U.S. government approved the transfer of the technologies in a "large frame," according to DAPA.

For its part, the Indonesian government will invest some 1.6 trillion won in the project, and its defense firm will participate in the process of design and component production. The country will also be given one prototype and technology data afterward.

But concerns still remain over the possibility that the U.S. might once again refuse to approve the handover of some of the technologies requested by Seoul, as negotiations between DAPA and Lockheed officials are still ongoing to list the details, as hundreds of technical items are part of them.

DAPA head Chang Myoung-jin said earlier that negotiations will continue for the next two to three years.

In addition, some critics are still skeptical about whether the nation will be able to domestically develop the AESA radar and other integral technologies by the target deadline.

As part of efforts to manage such risks involving the multi-million-dollar project, the National Assembly established a subcommittee comprised of professors and experts in the aerospace field to consistently monitor the costs and schedule of the development process, according to DAPA.

It said in a release, "We will dispatch professional manpower comprised of DAPA and Air Force officials to KAI headquarters from the end of this month in an effort to maximize oversight."

KAI President and CEO Ha Sung-yong said, "We will concentrate all our capacity to succeed in the KF-X project and contribute to the nation's economy."

Before its official kickoff, the program had suffered a severe crisis after the U.S. government refused in April to allow Lockheed to hand over four core technologies — the AESA radar, the EOTGP, the infrared search and radio frequency (RF) jammer and the infrared search and tracking (IRST) system.

A transfer of a total of 25 technologies was included in an offset deal signed in September of 2014 with Lockheed Martin in return for Korea's purchase of 40 F-35s.

Amid growing skepticism about the feasibility of the KF-X program at the time, DAPA said that the nation could domestically develop them and the U.S. government had promised to approve the transfer of the other 21 technologies.


Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye



'한국형 전투기' 개발 공식 착수…2021년 시제기 6대 나온다

4년간 비행시험 거쳐 2026년 중반 개발완료…2032년까지 120대 양산
방사청-한국항공, KF-X 착수회의…'국민이 자랑스러워할 전투기 개발'

오는 2021년에 한국형 전투기(KF-X)의 시제기 6대를 출고하고 4년간의 비행시험을 거쳐 2026년 중반까지 개발하는 KF-X 개발일정이 공식 발표됐다.

개발된 이후에는 기존 계획대로 2032년까지 120대가 양산 완료된다.

방위사업청은 21일 경남 사천의 한국항공우주산업(KAI)에서 KF-X 체계개발 착수회의를 열고 대내외에 KF-X 개발을 공식 선언했다. 이날 회의는 KF-X 체계개발을 위한 10년 5개월의 긴 여정의 시작을 본격적으로 알렸다는 데 의미가 있다.

장명진 방사청장 주관으로 열린 착수회의에는 KAI의 하성용 사장, 공동개발국인 인도네시아의 에디완 쁘라보워 국방사무차관, 팀불 시아안 예비전력총국장, 안느 쿠스마야띠 국방개발연구원장을 비롯한 국내외 관계자 200여명이 참석했다.

방사청이 이날 발표한 KF-X 사업계획에 따르면 2019년 9월까지 설계를 끝낸 다음 2021년 KF-X 시제기 6대를 출고해 4년간의 비행시험을 거치도록 했다. 비행시험 과정에서 나타난 문제점을 보완해 2026년 6월까지 개발을 끝내게 된다.

2026년 6월 이후부터 2032년까지 KF-X 120대를 양산해 공군에 배치한다. 방사청과 KAI는 KF-X의 수출에도 주력할 계획이다.

KF-X 핵심장비인 능동위상배열(AESA) 레이더, 임무컴퓨터(MC), 전자광학 표적추적장비(EO TGP) 등 90여 품목을 국산화해 가격기준 국산화율 65%를 목표로 추진할 것이라고 방사청은 설명했다.

특히 미국이 기술 이전을 거부한 AESA 레이더와 이를 전투기에 체계 통합하는 기술을 개발하기 위해 국방과학연구소(ADD)에 AESA 체계개발단이 설치된다. 방사청은 공군, ADD, KAI가 참여하는 실무협의체를 구성해 위험관리와 성과관리를 통해 계획된 일정 내에 체계개발을 완료할 것이라고 강조했다.

그러나 AESA 레이더 등 핵심장비 통합기술의 국내 개발이 늦어지고 관련 예산이 안정적으로 확보되지 않으면 KF-X 개발 일정은 늦춰질 수 있다.

이와 관련해 방사청은 '사업 추진 중에 발생할 수 있는 위험에 대한 객관적인 평가와 관리를 위해 외부전문가를 포함한 국회 리스크 소위원회, 국방부 평가위원회, 전문가그룹의 의견을 수렴해 리스크를 완화할 계획'이라고 설명했다.

방사청의 KF-X 사업단은 이달 말부터 단계적으로 방사청, 공군 등으로 구성된 전문인력을 KAI에 파견할 예정이다.

KAI 측은 '방사청과 함께 2026년 6월 체계개발 종료 때까지 KF-X의 성공적 개발을 위해 산·학·연 등 국내 항공산업 역량을 총결집시키고 'KF-X 정부위원회'를 구성하는 등 체계적인 리스크 관리를 진행해 나갈 계획'이라고 강조했다.

장명진 방사청장은 환영사에서 'KF-X 사업이 우리 항공산업 발전의 선도적 역할을 수행할 것'이라며 '우리 공군이 요구하는 우수한 성능의 전투기를 계획된 시기에 맞춰 전력화하고, 모든 국민이 자랑스러워할 수 있는 국산 전투기를 개발할 것'이라고 밝혔다.

하성용 KAI 사장은 '우리나라 항공산업 비전인 2020년 생산 200억 달러, 수출 100억 달러 달성의 한 축을 담당해 대한민국 국격을 한 단계 끌어올리는 계기가 되도록 할 것'이라고 말했다.

KF-X 개발사업에는 개발비(8조5천억원)와 양산비용(9조6천억원)을 합해 18조1천억원이 투입된다. KF-X는 기동성은 주력 전투기인 KF-16과 유사하지만 탑재되는 레이더, 전자장비 등의 성능은 더 우수한 '미디엄급' 전투기이다. (연합뉴스)
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