GE picked as preferred bidder to supply engines for next-generation fighter jets

South Korea's state arms procurement agency on Thursday said it has picked U.S. company General Electric (GE) as the preferred bidder to supply engines for the country's next-generation fighter jets.

The U.S. company has been picked as the supplier for the Korean Fighter Experimental (KF-X) program, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

European engine maker Eurojet Turbo GmbH and GE had been vying to become the engine provider for the 18 trillion-won (US$15.3 billion) project that calls for building 120 locally made twin-engine combat jets.

Seoul aims to deploy the new planes starting in the mid-2020s to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s jets. (Yonhap)