As reported in Korean Media today, the FMS price per aircraft being offered to Korea is over $200M...~1000 won/dollar
Headline: [Exclusive] With a stiff price of F-35, new consideration for F-X program emerged
Media: Segye Times (01/07/13)
Author: Ahn Doo-won
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration is expected to report the estimated budget of KRW 15 trillion for the F-X program to the presidential transition team, if the ROK is to procure 60 Lockheed Martin-made F-35s. The price tag is overwhelmingly beyond the initially proposed budget of KRW 8.3 trillion, as this implies that the F-X program could enter a new phase of discussing and change the program’s overall structure. One government source was quoted as saying that “The manufacturer noted the unit price of F-35 will be around KRW 213 billion (excluding armament and transportation options), and for 60 jets, the overall cost could soar to the KRW 15 trillion-level.” The source also said other jets, Boeing’s F-15 and EADS’ Eurofighter, will have a price range of KRW 10-11 trillion as well. Another government official confirmed that the estimated prices were reported to Kim Jang-soo who leads a transition team handling external affairs, security and North Korea policies for President-elect Park Geun-hye. “It is unclear whether the new Park administration would continue to pursue the program, considering the latest budget has exceeded the original estimation,” the official said. Lockheed Martin’s F-35, which will be sold on the U.S.-government guaranteed foreign military sale has even less leverage for price discount, so the jet might be dropped out of the F-X race. A source from DAPA said: “We will not report specific prices when we are meeting with the transition team. F-35 is not the only candidate for the program, and if the procurement price exceeds 20 percent of the entire program budget, the feasibility study needs to be conducted - adding more difficulties to proceed with the F-X program.” Insiders at the ROKAF suggest the F-X should pick between F-15 and Eurofighter while excluding F-35 which comes with the KRW 15 trillion price tag. “Within the ROKAF, the discussion is moving from ‘the ROKAF must procure less number of stealth-proven F-35s despite the hefty price tag’ to ‘The Branch cannot wait any longer for the next-generation fighter jets’ activation.’”
Interesting. Don't know what defines a "stealth-proven F-35" since no such object exists.
4 comments:
60 F35 = $ 14.1 billion
If 60 aircraft is truly the requirement, along with a requirement of keeping within a fixed Total Procurement budget, then it might be logical to deduce that some sort of modified acquisition strategy to include a 'High-low' mix of two aircraft types could be necessary.
For example, something along the lines of 35x F-15K++ (perhaps an F-15SA baseline + MLD/MAWS + blockers + eventual CWB and possible other RCS reducing treatments down the incremental upgrade path) plus 25x FA-50 single seat variants?
Such a mix might provide a reasonably cost-effective, risk-managed and sufficient strategic boost to medium term 'next-gen' deterrence requirements while also allowing the actual force-multiplying next-gen munitions to be afforded too!
Perhaps even add 3-4 LO UCAV vehicles towards the end of the expected acquisition as well for good measure!
The Silent Eagle coming in about 33% less. Seems like a no brainer, particularly since there is a significant existing fleet of F-15's, trained crews and pilots. Plus some of the Silent Eagle updates are adaptable to the older F-15's.
True ^^, it's advertised by Boeing and implied that late model F-15E variants such as the F-15K can indeed integrate proposed F-15SE components such as new Radar, outside wing stations and DEWS and one can imagine other upgrades too, eg the intake blockers and CWB once they are developed.
I feel that too much time, energy and investment has gone into the CWB marketing concept though and a more practical and value-added CFT modification could have been studied instead.
Perhaps something like a 1/2 sized, more super-sonic friendly CFT with semi-conformal AMRAAM/Stunner/Meteor-class AAM points built-in for clean configuration, as well as a twin outward-staring flush-mounted IRST system built-into the CFT (instead of the single hanging IRST station) for 180 degree frontal-sphere search. (perhaps the two IRST aperture sections sharing a single shared electronics section).
Integrate the durable and reduced maintenance GE-132 engine upgrade as a customer option, announce you are seeking a joint-development for a single-seat variant and just call the thing a Super Eagle...and call it a day.
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