Military History | How To Make War | Wars Around the World Rules of Use How to Behave on an Internet Forum
Fighters, Bombers and Recon Discussion Board
Sign In   Return to Topic Page
Subject: Lockheed Martin improves F-35 bid for Korean F-X III, blasts KFX program as waste of money
SlowMan    10/21/2009 12:56:36 PM
< link > Lockheed Martin is offering to outsource its own work share of JSF program to Korean companies as offset if Korean DoD selects F-35 for F-X III competition. At the same time, KFX program is blasted as being poor value for money. However, F-35 selection is even less likely based on what's revealed. Both F-X III fighter and KFX are required to carry and launch the next-generation indigenous supersonic antiship missile currently under development, based on the licensed Russian Yakhont missile tech and is expected to weigh around the same as Yahkhont/Brahmos. Currently only F-15K is able to carry this 2.5~3 ton missile, and F-35 may not be able to operate this one along with 2.2 ton GBU-28 bunker buster also being bought in large quantity by Korean air force to deal with North Korean underground facility. You have a similar case with Indian MRCA. Indian air force wants to operate its Brahmos missile from the winner of MRCA competition, which favors Mig-35 selection over smaller rivals.
 
Quote    Reply

Email Me When A New Comment Is Made
Show Only Poster Name and Title     Newest to Oldest
Pages: PREV  1 2 3 4 5   NEXT
warpig       10/22/2009 1:09:04 AM

@ warpig



> Well, that's a nice wish.  I hope it comes true some day.



Already reported by AFP. <link... >


 
That's great, it's already been reported that Washington has agreed to sell them to South Korea.  Hopefully, we'll actually do it soon.

 
 
Quote    Reply

sentinel28a       10/22/2009 2:01:33 PM
The expected battleground is around Liancourt Rocks.
 
Which is still well within land-based air range, like all of the Sea of Japan.  ROKAF F-15Ks and P-3s could easily reach the area to drop off Harpoons or GBUs.  It would be suicide to operate a carrier in those waters if your opponent has anything resembling a decent antiship defense, which the ROK has.
 
Which is why Japan wouldn't do that, and probably why they don't intend to.  I realize you'll never be convinced of this, SlowMan, since facts should never get in the way of a cool wargame scenario.  I admit I always thought a German invasion of Savannah, GA on Panzer General II was a lot of fun, instead of the suicide run it would actually have been.
 
 
 
Quote    Reply

SlowMan       10/22/2009 2:35:11 PM
@ sentinel28a

>  ROKAF F-15Ks and P-3s could easily reach the area to drop off Harpoons or GBUs.

And so will JASDF F-2s and F-4s. Both side will be air launching several hundred anti-ship missiles against each other.

>  It would be suicide to operate a carrier in those waters

22DDH is for the defense of Okinawa and Senkaku, not for operation within the Sea of Japan, at least not until the second Chinese aircraft carrier group starts operating from the North Korean port of Najin that China just leased.

>  Which is why Japan wouldn't do that, and probably why they don't intend to.

There is no other way to settle this dispute. Diplomacy is not an option. International arbitration is not an option(Hell, the US bailed out, saying you guys are on your own). The only possible solution understood by either side is a settlement by military action.
 
Quote    Reply

SlowMan       10/29/2009 11:05:49 AM
Lockheed throws in more bones into Korean F-X III competition < link >
 
-  First delivery of 2014(An early block version which must be upgraded later, I presume)
-  Italian-style Final Assembly Plant in Korea to ease the Korean fear of having to fly to Japan to get F-35 maintained(This is unacceptable).
- 2nd tier subcontract work
 
 I presume Lockheed's sale term for Japan's F-X competition is similar. Does Lockheed really plan to have two final assembly plants so close to each other?
 
 
Quote    Reply

StevoJH       10/29/2009 12:16:48 PM
The link you posted.
Lockheed offers 2014 delivery date for South Korea's first F-35s

Lockheed Martin remains confident that South Korea will select its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter... for the third phase of its F-X competition, with the company saying that Seoul could even get access to the aircraft from 2014 if required.

"The F-35 is the best value fighter for South Korea. The country has received a classified briefing, and studies are under way to see if the aircraft can fit the various capabilities required by the air force. This will continue into 2010," says Steve O'Brien, Lockheed's vice-president of F-35 business development.

"There are slots available in 2014 for the first FMS [Foreign Military Sales] customer to take delivery of the F-35. We've given a number of different briefings to different customers on this issue, and it is up to the customers if they would like to come on board."

Just as it has with Japan, Lockheed is dangling the prospect of South Korean industry possibly participating i
 
Quote    Reply

SlowMan       10/29/2009 12:42:27 PM
@ StevoJH

> It says "some" assembly work, nothing about the scope or what they would be assembling.

The article says "similar to Italy's", so you can figure out the rest.
 
Quote    Reply

Slim Pickinz    not what they need   10/29/2009 3:14:53 PM
It's my understanding that the "stealth" features of the F-15SE are only effective against air-based fighter and AWACS radars, while against ground-based air defence radars they still produce a large RCS. Since North Korea doesn't have AWACS or even a credible air superiority force, the main concern for the SKs would be the NK air defence systems, where the F-35 would shine.
 
Quote    Reply

SlowMan       10/29/2009 3:38:33 PM
@ Slim Pickinz

> It's my understanding that the "stealth" features of the F-15SE are only effective against air-based fighter and AWACS radars

F-15SE's stealth is ineffective against AWACS. But then again, neither is F-35's. Thus F-35 is considered to be non-stealth aircraft by JASDF and ROKAF because it can be detected by their own AWACS at a sufficient range, and also by the other's AWACS.

> the main concern for the SKs would be the NK air defence systems, where the F-35 would shine.

ROKAF's intended primary adversary is JASDF and PLAAF. North Korean fighter fleets are not considered to be serious threats, and North Korean air defense would be suppressed within a day or two.
 
Quote    Reply

Slim Pickinz       10/29/2009 3:42:49 PM

@ Slim Pickinz



> It's my understanding that the "stealth" features of the F-15SE are only effective against air-based fighter and AWACS radars



F-15SE's stealth is ineffective against AWACS. But then again, neither is F-35's. Thus F-35 is considered to be non-stealth aircraft by JASDF and ROKAF because it can be detected by their own AWACS at a sufficient range, and also by the other's AWACS.



> the main concern for the SKs would be the NK air defence systems, where the F-35 would shine.



ROKAF's intended primary adversary is JASDF and PLAAF. North Korean fighter fleets are not considered to be serious threats, and North Korean air defense would be suppressed within a day or two.

Ok I agree with you about the PLAAF, but please stop bringing up your Korea vs Japan fantasy. It's just never going to happen kid.
 
Quote    Reply

SlowMan       10/29/2009 4:17:43 PM
@ Slim Pickinz

> Ok I agree with you about the PLAAF, but please stop bringing up your Korea vs Japan fantasy. It's just never going to happen kid.

You should have been at 2ch and various mega forums in the past couple of days. The Kurama collision started a firestorm over there and created a massive shouting match between Japanese and Koreans. Koreans and Chinese actually celebrated this collision(as it appeared that Kurama took on a much heavier damage than the Korean container ship), just like how Palestinians celebrated and cheered on the street on the day of 9/11 back in 2001.

If you want to understand China vs Japan vs Korea situation in East Asia, think Iran vs Israel vs Palestine in the Middle East.
 
Quote    Reply
PREV  1 2 3 4 5   NEXT



StrategyWorld.com© 1998 - 2012StrategyWorld.com. All rights Reserved. StrategyWorld.com, StrategyPage.com, FYEO, For Your Eyes Only and Al Nofi's CIC are all trademarks of StrategyWorld.com Privacy Policy