I suspect they have seen through the "fifth-generation" fighter swindle.
6 comments:
Canuck Fighter
said...
I think Boeing stock just went up. After seeing the Saudis, pretty much guarantee that the F-15 assembly line will be operating for quite a while, and the continued delivery problems of the F-35, ROKAF saw the opportunity to politely modify the FXiii RFP.
Given that ROKAF has 60 new slam Eagles, 60 more F-15SE's or SKs would dovetail well into the air fleet. Of course Eurofighter and others will bid, but the US relationship with SK is so tight that only a US bid will win. However, in fairness a new F-15 variant will likely be good value for the money.
The most importance thing is to transefer technoledge! EADS is very aggresive. F15SE is commercial buying, but F-35 is FMS. SK is codeveloper of JDAM-ER! So...
Sounds to me like it's all they can do just to keep all those moving F-35B doors and flaps from coming apart in mid-air. And if I read it right, it's not even allowed to exceed 400 KIA under 18K ft!
an alternative explanation could come in here. By relaxing the requirements, Seoul would essentially force LM to concede more ground on pricing and technology transfer given the obviously greater leeway the F-35's rivals have.
Six new F-15K Slam Eagles, tail numbers [054-059] accompanied by a C-130H support left St Louis yesterday on their way to Nellis AFB to participate in Red Flag. The final 2 of 61 aircraft are due in April. The Koreans are smart, they know then can pick another 60 Eagle variants for a good price with little risk over the next 3-5 years and get some easy enhancements such a CWBs and stealth coatings. They can always wait for the F-35, if it gets past it's hurdles because they would still have F-16's to replace. In the mean time a strike/air superiority fighter is very useful in and around the Korean peninsula, just as it is in the Middle East. I would not be surprised to see Israel soon step up for 25-30 new Eagle variants.
6 comments:
I think Boeing stock just went up. After seeing the Saudis, pretty much guarantee that the F-15 assembly line will be operating for quite a while, and the continued delivery problems of the F-35, ROKAF saw the opportunity to politely modify the FXiii RFP.
Given that ROKAF has 60 new slam Eagles, 60 more F-15SE's or SKs would dovetail well into the air fleet. Of course Eurofighter and others will bid, but the US relationship with SK is so tight that only a US bid will win. However, in fairness a new F-15 variant will likely be good value for the money.
If Boeing were smart, they'd develop an enhanced and superior IRST sensor to the Lockmart model IRST currently used on the F-15E class.
They could include better flexibility in technology transfer that way and even enter into license-production of such avionics as a selling point.
The most importance thing is to transefer technoledge!
EADS is very aggresive.
F15SE is commercial buying, but F-35 is FMS.
SK is codeveloper of JDAM-ER!
So...
Here's the link to the 2011 DOT&E report on the JSF program:
http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/283239/section-on-the-f-35-joint-strike-fighter-from.pdf
Sounds to me like it's all they can do just to keep all those moving F-35B doors and flaps from coming apart in mid-air. And if I read it right, it's not even allowed to exceed 400 KIA under 18K ft!
JRL
Eric,
an alternative explanation could come in here. By relaxing the requirements, Seoul would essentially force LM to concede more ground on pricing and technology transfer given the obviously greater leeway the F-35's rivals have.
Six new F-15K Slam Eagles, tail numbers [054-059] accompanied by a C-130H support left St Louis yesterday on their way to Nellis AFB to participate in Red Flag. The final 2 of 61 aircraft are due in April.
The Koreans are smart, they know then can pick another 60 Eagle variants for a good price with little risk over the next 3-5 years and get some easy enhancements such a CWBs and stealth coatings.
They can always wait for the F-35, if it gets past it's hurdles because they would still have F-16's to replace. In the mean time a strike/air superiority fighter is very useful in and around the Korean peninsula, just as it is in the Middle East. I would not be surprised to see Israel soon step up for 25-30 new Eagle variants.
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