First F-35A jet for S. Korea to roll out
By Lee Min-hyung
F-35A fighter jet
Vice Defense Minister Seo Joo-seok plans to visit the United States on Tuesday to attend a ceremony of the launch of the first F-35A fighter jet to be delivered to South Korea's Air Force.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, Monday, Seo and a group of military officials will visit Lockheed Martin's F-35A production line in Texas for two days beginning Tuesday.
The U.S.-based aerospace giant plans to complete the first F-35A Lightning II delivery to the Republic of Korea Air Force next year, and will supply 40 aircraft by 2021.
“Seo will exchange ideas on how the two countries can cooperate to enhance bilateral defense ties and national security in a planned meeting with Ellen Lord, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics at the U.S. Department of Defense, and Mat Winter, the Pentagon director for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program,” a defense ministry official said.
The fifth-generation fighter is renowned for its stealth capabilities and state-of-the-art sensors and a speed of up to 1,940 kilometers per hour. The F35-A is also cited as one of the most advanced strategic weapons that can be in use for preemptive strikes against North Korea's major nuclear and ballistic missile facilities.