The US State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to South Korea of up to 25 more F-35A conventional take-off and landing Joint Strike Fighters, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency ((DSCA) announced on 13 September 2023.
The sale, which is worth an estimated USD 5.06 Bn (EUR 4.72 Bn), has been passed to the US Congress for final approval.
The sale includes 25 installed Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines plus one spare along with various additional items such as spares and logistics, technical, training, service and programme support.
South Korea initially selected the F-35 to address its F-X III fighter acquisition programme in 2014 and received the first of 40 aircraft ordered at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, in 2018. The first South Korean F-35As were delivered to their permanent home location, Cheongju Air Base, in 2019.
To start replacing its fleet of around 167 F-16A/Bs, 185 F-5E/Fs and roughly 27 F-4Es the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) could thus end up operating up to 65 F-35As before the indigenous KF-21 Boromae fifth-generation fighter is introduced towards the end of this decade. South Korea expects to field 120 KF-21s by 2032.
The RoKAF also currently deploys 60 indigenously produced FA-50 light fighters delivered from 2013 and 59 Boeing F-15K Slam Eagle multi-role fighters delivered from 2005.
Peter Felstead
