Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

I wonder why there are no photos of the Silent Eagle's engine nozzles? Maybe they're either a radically different shape, have TVC or both?

If they really have something, it figures the nozzles would be a different shape. Seems round holes are really bad for stealth, you gotta have something with straight lines.

04-25-2008 19:27
Korea to Buy 21 More F-15Ks From Boeing

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

South Korea's arms procurement agency Friday announced a contract to purchase 21 F-15K fighters from The Boeing Company of the United States.

Under the second-phase F-X deal, worth $2.3 billion, the American aircraft giant is to deliver the multi-role fighters to South Korea's Air Force between 2010 and 2012, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.

South Korea had accepted Boeing's offer to provide one more aircraft to help the Korean Air Force replace an F-15K that crashed in 2006 as part of an offset deal, a DAPA spokesman said.

``Once deployed, the aircraft are expected to make up for the diminishing capabilities of the Air Force's aging fighter jets while also reinforcing our strategic deterrence following the transfer of the wartime operational control of South Korean troops,'' the spokesman said.

The F-X project aims to equip the Air Force with 120 advanced fighters by 2020 to replace its aging F-4 aircraft.

In 2002, Boeing's F-15 Eagle was selected for the 40-plane, $4.2 billion first phase of the F-X fighter modernization program.

The F-15K can fly air-to-ground, air-to-air and air-to-sea missions day or night in any weather. It has a 23,000-pound payload and can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 2.3 with a combat radius of 1,800 kilometers.

South Korea plans to open a bid for the next phase F-X projects aimed at purchasing stealth fighters in 2011.

Meanwhile, the DAPA selected Pratt & Whitney (P&W)'s F-100 engines to power the 21 F-15Ks under a $220 million contract, beating out F110 engines made by General Electric (GE), which won the first-phase contract for 88 engines.

P&W will deliver 46 engines to South Korea under a technology cooperation contract with Samsung Techwin, the spokesman said.

It is rare that an air force selects different engines to power one type of fighter.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr

General Electric (GE), which is supplying engines for South Korea's F-15K fighter program and looking for more work, has been allegedly paying tens of thousands of dollars to a U.S.-based program manager for the country's arms procurement agency.

Since 2003, the U.S. firm has allegedly given about $6,000 per month to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) manager based in Cincinnati, where GE's aircraft engines plant is located, a reliable source told The Korea Times.

DAPA officials confirmed that GE was paying the program manager, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Oh Sang-seop. The payments began after GE won a $440-million contract to supply 88 F110-GE-129 engines for 40 twin-engine F-15Ks in 2002, beating out Pratt & Whitney (P&W) with its F100 model, they said.

GE has been giving the manager $5,800 per month under a five-year contract, they said.

I believe that Korea stopped after the Col Ong issue was brought to light, watch for more sticky fingers to appear on both sides of the issue.

General Electric's credit rating has finally been cut. S&P has lowered the conglomerate's rating, which has been triple-A since 1956, to double-A-plus... ...The strength of the industrial business theoretically allowed the financial arm to raise debt more cheaply, allowing it to thrive. The downgrade guts this rationale.... ...There is one other rationale for keeping the two businesses together. GE may say it has an easier time selling turbines and jet engines if it can offer attractive financing to customers.

The complaint alleges that on January 23, 2009, GE's Chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, stated unequivocally that GE would maintain its quarterly $.31 per share dividend, having sufficient cash on hand and cash flow to achieve that goal. Then on February 27, 2009, GE suddenly announced it was cutting the dividend to $.10 per share. On the first trading day after the dividend reduction announcement, GE shares fell from $8.51 per share the previous trading day to close at $7.60 per share. The shares have continued to plummet, currently trading at $6.30 per share, an almost 30% plunge. During the Class Period, Mr. Immelt sold over 52,000 shares of GE stock at $11.10 per share and other officers of the Company sold over 380,000 shares at that same price. Mr. Immelt then repurchased 50,000 shares after the announcement at between $7.51 and $8.30 per share. As a result, Mr. Immelt and the other officers violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by issuing false and misleading statements or knowingly or recklessly failing to know of those statements, sold GE shares at inflated prices based on those statements.