South Korea resets Fighter Jet bidding

[bojack_horseman]

The 40 F-35A CTOL fighters were released to South Korea in March 2013 for $7.06 billion.

Seems rather pricey?

Surely that would be incl life cycle costs?

[SpudmanWP]

$175 mil a pop for full cost that includes sims, transport, initial tooling, spares, support, etc seems normal.

The F-15 offer was $128 per but since the South Koreans already operated the F-15, much of the ancillary items were not included.

Given that the F-35 is cheaper to operate & support vs the F-15, the cost difference will be made up several times over during its lifetime.

[zerion]

South Korea considers buying 20 more F-35A stealth jets


SEOUL, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- South Korea is considering purchasing 20 additional radar-evading F-35A fighters to enhance its air combat capabilities, military officials said Monday.

The idea comes in the wake of a nuclear test by North Korea last week...

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Securi ... 473697715/

[XanderCrews]

South Korea considers buying 20 more F-35A stealth jets


SEOUL, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- South Korea is considering purchasing 20 additional radar-evading F-35A fighters to enhance its air combat capabilities, military officials said Monday.

The idea comes in the wake of a nuclear test by North Korea last week...

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Securi ... 473697715/

Oh slowman?

[zerion]

South Korea considers buying 20 more F-35A stealth jets


SEOUL, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- South Korea is considering purchasing 20 additional radar-evading F-35A fighters to enhance its air combat capabilities, military officials said Monday.

The idea comes in the wake of a nuclear test by North Korea last week...

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Securi ... 473697715/

Oh slowman?

I was thinking of his state of mind when I posted this.

[bigjku]

Things like this are why the initial orders for almost everyone didn't matter nearly as much in terms of numbers. Japan will order more. Israel will order more. If Europe really feels threatened they will order more. Winning he contest it ones means the F-35 is the only option to respond to hanging security needs right now.

For the most part if any "western" power sees a threat and need to expand its Air Force it's going to be buying F-35 for the next 15 plus years.

[popcorn]

The F-35 will be the preferred hitman if and when the SOKORS decide to pull the plug on KJU.

[maus92]

S. Korean Parliament Refuses To Hike F-35 Budget
Dec 5, 2016 Bradley Perrett and Kim Minseok | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

"SEOUL, BEIJING— The South Korean Parliament has refused a defense ministry request to spend 30% more on Lockheed Martin F-35 acquisition in 2017 ....."

http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/s-k ... -35-budget

This is a developing story behind a paywall. The full story should be available later today or tomorrow.

[optimist]

Is this 'developing story' the start of the rot, a death spiral, the chickens coming home to roost?
Or is it they are ordering some in 2017. Someone said, what about more and the purse holder said no, we go as planned?

[SpudmanWP]

This may be related to their desire to order more F-35s but we won't know the details until the paywall comes down or someone else reports more details.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/south-ko ... hter-jets/

[optimist]

I think it's just a headline and Maus' FUD
Increasing a very early order only loads the start and makes things harder. I think they are ordereing 10, 15 is a big jump

[Dragon029]

S. Korean Parliament Refuses To Hike F-35 Budget
Dec 5, 2016 Bradley Perrett and Kim Minseok | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

SEOUL, BEIJING— The South Korean Parliament has refused a defense ministry request to spend 30% more on Lockheed Martin F-35 acquisition in 2017 than originally planned.

But the Parliament has authorized more spending next year than the ministry wanted for Lockheed Martin F-16 upgrades and buying air-to-surface missiles.

As requested by the ministry, the 2017 budget authorized on Dec. 3 amounts to 40.3 trillion won ($34.5 billion). This included 12 trillion won for weapon acquisition and research and development.

South Korea decided in November 2013 to buy 40 F-35s, which would serve alongside Boeing F-15Ks as the country’s main strike fighters. According to a schedule set early in the program, 900 billion won would be spent on the F-35 acquisition in 2017. Deliveries have been due in 2018–21.

But in its budget request the ministry asked for 30% more because the 2017 installment under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process turned out to be unexpectedly high. The Parliament has denied that request, although at 987.1 billion won the 2017 funding will be higher than originally scheduled.

The pace of deliveries will therefore be slowed.

Funding for F-16 upgrades in 2017, 100 billion won, will be 50% above the ministry’s request. Lockheed Martin is running the upgrade program for 134 F-16s, which includes installation of Northrop Grumman APG-83 radars.

The U.S. Air Force has emphasized the importance of upgrading the aircraft, because their lack of such systems as data links and advanced radars inhibits their ability to cooperate with the South Korean air force.

The budget for buying KEPD-350 Taurus missiles, made by MBDA and Saab Dynamics, is 130 billion won, about 70% more than requested. A conference between the government and the most numerous party in Parliament, the Saenuri Party, called in October for increases of the missile. The Taurus is valued for its ability to penetrate hardened targets such as command bunkers and tunnels in which North Korean ballistic missiles may be hidden.

North Korea’s September nuclear test has encouraged South Korea to spend more on defending against or deterring the threat. The Parliament allocated 30 billion won for a ballistic-missile warning radar, up from the requested 8.7 billion.

The secret part of the budget seems to allocate increased funding for two programs with which South Korea hopes to deter North Korea, an official source says. These are Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, with which the country’s defense forces are prepared to strike heavily in response to a North Korean nuclear attack, and Korea Air and Missile Defense, aimed at bolstering the capacity to intercept ballistic missiles.

The Parliament has also added a little funding to get the defense ministry moving on a program for acquiring maritime aircraft that could be used against North Korean submarines. The ministry asked for no money for this, but the Parliament has allocated 100 million won, enough for administrative preparations.

[XanderCrews]

S. Korean Parliament Refuses To Hike F-35 Budget
Dec 5, 2016 Bradley Perrett and Kim Minseok | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

"SEOUL, BEIJING— The South Korean Parliament has refused a defense ministry request to spend 30% more on Lockheed Martin F-35 acquisition in 2017 ....."

http://aviationweek.com/awindefense/s-k ... -35-budget

This is a developing story behind a paywall. The full story should be available later today or tomorrow.

Oh no!! Oh geez!!

[SpudmanWP]

LOL as it's just about a larger-than-planned-for down-payment and not about final price.

[maus92]

Paywall down:

http://aviationweek.com/defense/s-korea ... -35-budget

..."South Korea decided in November 2013 to buy 40 F-35s, which would serve alongside Boeing F-15Ks as the country’s main strike fighters. According to a schedule set early in the program, 900 billion won would be spent on the F-35 acquisition in 2017. Deliveries have been due in 2018–21.

But in its budget request the [defense] ministry asked for 30% more because the 2017 installment under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process turned out to be unexpectedly high. The Parliament has denied that request, although at 987.1 billion won the 2017 funding will be higher than originally scheduled.

The pace of deliveries will therefore be slowed...."

Acquiring the F-35 turns out to be 30% more expensive than anticipated - more evidence that the cost curve has flattened. LM / JPO need to pay attention because the incoming administration is at least sounding like it's getting serious about cutting underperforming / over budget programs.