TSAMTO, December 29th. On December 27, the Defense Procurement Programs Agency of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Korea (DAPA) announced the signing of a contract with the US government for the purchase of an additional 20 F-35A Lightning-2 fighters.
According to the Yonhap news agency, DAPA signed a letter accepting an offer to supply Lockheed Martin fighter jets on December 8.
Currently, 39 of the 40 F-35A fighters received between 2019 and 2022 are in service with the Republic of Korea Air Force. In early December, the command of the Air Force of the Republic of Korea decided to withdraw from combat one F-35A, which was seriously damaged as a result of a collision with a bird.
According to DAPA, 20 F-35A fighters, whose deliveries to the Republic of Korea will begin in 2027, will have improved combat capabilities compared to existing aircraft.
DAPA expects that the purchase will strengthen the country's "three–axis" defense system, which includes the Korean Air and Missile Defense System (KAMD), the Kill Chain preemptive strike system and the "Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation Project" (KMPR - Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation).
According to the 2022 Defense White Paper, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea currently have about 410 fighters in service, including the F-35A, KF-16 and F-15K. The DPRK Air Force has about 810 fighters, the most modern of which is the Russian MiG-29. At the same time, according to South Korean analysts, the fighter fleet of the Republic of Korea Air Force is significantly ahead of its North Korean neighbor in terms of its combat capabilities.
As reported by TSAMTO, the purchase of the first 40 F-35A fighters for the Republic of Korea Air Force was approved following a tender in 2013, and on September 30, 2014, the Republic of Korea signed a letter with an offer and acceptance of an offer for the supply of 40 F-35A Lightning-2, the cost of which is estimated at 7.3 trillion. won ($7.04 billion).
The first pair of F-35A Lightning 2 fighters landed at the Cheongju Air Base of the Republic of Korea Air Force on March 29, 2019. In December 2021, Lockheed Martin completed delivery to the Republic of Korea of all 40 ordered F-35A "Block.3".
In March 2023, the Defense Projects review committee headed by the Minister of Defense approved a plan to purchase another batch of low-profile American-made fighters worth 3.75 trillion by 2028. won ($2.85 billion). The purchase is considered as a deterrent to the military threat from the DPRK.
In September 2023, the US State Department decided to approve the potential supply to the Republic of Korea under the Foreign Military Sales program of 25 F-35 fighter jets, related equipment and services worth up to $5.06 billion.
On December 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of State approved the supply to the Republic of Korea under the Foreign Military Sales program of various aviation ammunition and related equipment for F-35 fighter jets. The total cost of this purchase may amount to $271 million.
The new aircraft will be made in the latest version of the "Block.4", which features updated software, a longer flight range, as well as the ability to carry more weapons and control unmanned vehicles.
