European consortium of Typhoon fighter jet offers technology transfer to S. Korea

MUNICH/MADRID (Yonhap) -- With Korea scheduled to select the winner of its project for 60 new fighter jets next fall, the European consortium of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft has offered to fully share its technology with its South Korean partners.

Germany, Spain, Italy and Britain are partners in the development and production of the Typhoon, with their consortium of Cassidian, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), in charge. Cassidian officials told a group of visiting South Korean journalists, first in Munich and later in Madrid, that their company is committed to transfer their technology to South Korea, if Typhoon beats out its rivals in October next year.

"We think we can provide also a huge technology transfer package," said Mariano Barrena, vice president of Cassidian Air Systems, a business unit of Cassidian, in Madrid. He also serves as head of the Eurofighter's bid in South Korea.

He was addressing reporters after a tour of the final assembly line in Spain on Oct. 13. Each of the four nations operates its own final assembly hangar, as the Typhoon is made from parts produced by different companies in the four partner countries.

Britain's BAE Systems makes the front fuselage, canopy and tail fin; Alenia Aeronautica in Italy puts together the left wing and rear fuselage; EADS CASA in Spain builds the right wing and leading edge slats; finally, Premium AEROTEC in Germany makes the main center fuselage.

Barrena stressed Spain's three partners will not object to the sharing of their technology.

"When we approach potential export customers, we have a prior agreement on whatever we do," the official said. "We talk the same language. There's no possibility of trouble on the transfer of technology."

In its second bid for the South Korean market, Typhoon is competing with three other fighter models: the F-15SE Silent Eagle by Boeing, F-35 Lightning II by Lockheed Martin and T-50 PAK-FA by Russian firm Sukhoi. Boeing's bid won Seoul's earlier project to acquire fighter aircraft.

This year, experts see the bid as essentially a three-horse race among the Typhoon, F-15SE and F-35 Lightning II. Austria, Britain, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Spain are currently operating the Typhoon at 16 air bases.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in Seoul, the project to acquire 60 fifth-generation stealth fighters is worth 8.29 trillion won (US$7.2 billion).

Marco Valerio Bonelli, head of public relations and communications for Eurofighter, called the company's stance a "no black box" approach, saying there would be "no restriction on access to information on technology."

Cassidian made a similar offer to the Indian Air Force in July this year. Peter Maute, senior vice president of Cassidian handling portfolio management and sales, made that proposal to Indian journalists then.

Last week, he repeated the pitch to South Korea in Munich, saying the offer will help reduce development costs in South Korea.

"We're willing to support Korea to achieve self-reliance," Maute said. "One of our strong efforts (in the bid) is that we're willing to offer to Korea to participate in technology not just in the Eurofighter program but also for use in indigenous development."

The three front runners come with varying degrees of capabilities. The F-35 Lightning II and F-15SE, both more recent models than the Typhoon, are equipped with sophisticated stealth features. The Typhoon is seen as lagging behind the two in stealth characteristics, but officials claimed it can more than compensate with its versatility and proven operational track record in battlefields.

"The Eurofighter Typhoon is the most advanced, multirole fighter in the market today," Bonelli said during a presentation in Munich. "It's an aircraft that can do air-to-air operations with superiority and air-to-ground operations with total accuracy. We offer a total flexibility and interoperability with all U.S. and South Korean aircraft."

Maute said Typhoons have accumulated more than 125,000 hours in operations, most recently in Libya.

As for stealth capabilities, Eurofighter officials suggested they might be overrated. Lars Jorgensen, manager of market research and business development for Eurofighter, said non-stealth attack aircraft have proven to work as well as stealth jets under similar conditions. He said stealth fighters often require a lot of help from support assets, in the form of other, expensive fighters.

"The Typhoon is a balanced solution," Jorgensen said in Munich, listing off the Typhoon's other strengths, such as its ability to fight electronic warfare and carry a heavy load of weapons as well as its latest communications devices.

"Stealth might work with a lot of help, but (it leads to) a lot of losses," Jorgensen added.

The Typhoon lost to Boeing's F-15K in South Korea's acquisition project in 2002. Eurofighter officials said their aircraft has gained more combat experience since and that they have a chance to win the bid this time.

"We're very willing and highly motivated to enter the Korean market," Maute said. "We're offering a very good product to Korea."