Armée Sud Coréene/Republic of Korea Armed Forces ( RoKAF )

Rappel du premier message :

Citation :

DATE:25/03/09
SOURCE:Flight International
Elbit Systems lands helmet-mounted display deal with South Korea
By Arie Egozi

Elbit Systems has received a contract to supply advanced helmet-mounted display systems for the South Korean army's Korean Utility Helicopter (KUH) programme.

Under the deal, Elbit will supply prime contractor Korea Aerospace Industries with equipment for its ongoing development effort, which is expected to lead to the manufacture of up to 250 tactical transport helicopters. The Israeli company's initial contract covers those development aircraft due to be delivered in 2009-10, but it believes the agreement could lead to follow-on orders to equip the entire KUH fleet and additional military rotorcraft.

"We believe this selection will lead to further head-up display projects in South Korea and worldwide," says Yoram Shmuely, co-general manager of Elbit's Aerospace Division.

Elbit says its helmet-mounted display systems enable helicopter pilots to fly with their "head out of the cockpit", boosting situational awareness and safety by projecting essential flight data, plus navigation waypoints and threat data into their line of sight.

Citation :

South Korea Formally Announces Intent to Buy 40 Lockheed Fighter Jets

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea formally announced on Wednesday that it would buy 40 F-35A fighter jets from the American defense contractor Lockheed Martin in a deal that includes transfers of technology for the development of the country’s own advanced fighter jet.

South Korea picked Lockheed Martin’s F-35A as the sole choice for its air force’s new fighter jet in November and has since been negotiating the terms of the deal. On Wednesday, Defense Minister Han Min-koo called a meeting of top military procurement officials to approve the purchase, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said in a news release.

South Korea was expected to pay 120 billion won, or $115 million, per aircraft, and has set aside a total of $7 billion for its so-called FX-III project of upgrading to fighter jets with radar-evading stealth capabilities, the South Korean news media reported, citing anonymous government sources. South Korea hopes to deploy the F-35A between 2018 and 2021.

The deal, which has yet to be signed, includes undisclosed terms for technological transfers from Lockheed to help South Korea’s $8.2 billion KF-X program to develop its own advanced fighter jet, the procurement agency said. The procurement agency said its negotiations had also involved the United States government, whose approval is often needed for technology transfers, suggesting that the deal had already received the government’s blessing.

South Korea hopes to build a fighter jet similar to Lockheed’s F-16 Fighting Falcon, but with twin engines and improved radar and other combat capabilities. It has plans to produce 120 such jets for its air force, beginning in 2025. With the KF-X project, the country also hopes to join the ranks of major arms exporters, selling aircraft to countries that cannot afford high-end American jets, like the F-35A, for cost and other reasons.

Korea Aerospace Industries and the aerospace division of the airline Korean Air have been vying to win the KF-X deal. The government plans to choose the winner by the end of the year.

South Korea first announced the KF-X plans in 2001, but the program has suffered repeated delays because of budget constraints. To disperse the financial risk and lower the unit cost, it has enlisted Indonesia as a partner in the jet project.

South Korea began its FX-III program to quickly renew the air force’s aging fleet. Lockheed’s F-35A won in a contest against Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle — an upgraded version of the F-15K model that South Korea already owns — and Eurofighter’s Typhoon.

Traditionally, South Korea has bought most of its military aircraft, and all of its fighter jets, from the United States, which keeps 28,500 troops in the country. But it has recently tried to diversify beyond American suppliers and encourage domestic production.

South Korea aims to accelerate its defense industry the same way that it built its export industries in shipbuilding, car manufacturing and electronics: by first acquiring technological knowledge from foreign exporters, then reworking or improving on the technology.

http://www.nytimes.com

Citation :

Lockheed to buy European satellite for South Korea in F-35 deal


(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) said it will buy a European-built military communications satellite for South Korea as part of a $7 billion deal to supply Seoul with 40 F-35 fighter jets, in what industry observers call among the most unusual "offset" agreements ever to accompany a major arms sale.

Lockheed, which builds its own satellites, declined to detail the cost of the new satellite or name its manufacturer, but said the spacecraft would provide a "state-of-the-art" system that met South Korea's military requirements.

"The Lockheed Martin offset commitment ... directly benefits Korean national defense requirements, enables substantial Korean industrial activity and transfers a large amount of high technology to the Republic of Korea," Lockheed said.

Steve Over, director of international business development for the F-35 program, said Lockheed would buy and launch the satellite by 2017, including all necessary control equipment and technical training. He declined to give further details.

U.S. government and industry officials said they believed it was the first time that a U.S. firm had included a satellite in a so-called "offset agreement" with an arms deal. In this case, Seoul's offset target was 50 percent of the value of the jets.

Weapons sales are generally negotiated between governments, but offset deals are worked out between the company and the purchasing government. A U.S. defense official said the State Department had approved the overall F-35 deal, including any offset costs, but the decision to include the European satellite was "purely" that of South Korea and Lockheed.

"The U.S. Department of Defense is not a party to any offset arrangement between U.S. industry and the foreign government," said the official, who asked not to be named.

Such agreements have long been demanded by countries to "offset" the cost of new weapons systems. They pay for a wide array of goods and services, ranging from arms components to unrelated items such as construction of hotels and financing for movies. In one case in 2005, Thailand asked Lockheed to buy 80,000 tons of stockpiled frozen chicken as part of an ultimately unsuccessful bid to sell F-16 fighter jets.

Analysts and industry executives say offset deals have grown more sophisticated in recent years, but South Korea's interest in a satellite is a new development.

Most of Lockheed's F-35 sales thus far have been with countries that helped fund the plane's development and qualify for industrial participation in the F-35 program, rather than offset deals for unrelated items. Lockheed's two other sales to countries outside the partnership, Israel and Japan, did not include offset arrangements, according to company officials.

As part of the offset deal with Seoul, Lockheed will also provide engineering expertise and technical documentation to help South Korea develop its own fighter airplane.

Marco Caceres, an analyst with the Virginia-based Teal Group, said the new satellite may be built by France's Thales (TCFP.PA), which has already built several satellites for South Korea. The satellite was likely medium-sized and would cost several hundred million dollars to build, plus another $100 million to launch, he said.

The other major European satellite builder is Airbus.

Neither company had any immediate comment.

Brett Lambert, a former senior Pentagon official, said it was not unprecedented for companies to buy equipment from a third countries as part of offset deals, but it was ironic in this case since Lockheed builds its own satellites and has long called for changes in the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) export rules to enable more exports.

"It's the last ironic twist of ITAR," Lambert said, noting that the U.S. government had finally begun reforming export control laws for satellites and related exports, but the Korean deal may have been shaped before those rules went into effect.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, editing by Ros Krasny and Andrew Hay)

Citation :

Korean Air delivers 4,000th refurbished military plane



SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air Lines Co. said Wednesday that it has delivered its 4,000th refurbished military plane, 36 years after it started depot maintenance operations.

The company, South Korea's largest air carrier and logistics giant, held a ceremony in Busan, to mark the delivery of an F-15 air-superiority fighter jet to the U.S. Air Force, and outlined its goal to play a leading role in the global aerospace sector.

It started maintenance work in 1978 by repairing and overhauling planes operated by the South Korean and U.S. military. It has a maintenance tech center built on 707,866 square meters of land in Busan, 453 kilometers southeast of Seoul. This facility has a factory space of 266,180 square meters and employs some 2,700 people.

"This facility is the largest depot maintenance center in the country and the only one used by U.S. military aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region," the company said. It stressed that its prowess in maintenance and experience gained in the license production of aircraft in the past, gives it a unique position that can ensure growth of its aircraft industry sector as a whole.

Korean Air started by carrying out maintenance work on C-123 cargo planes, 500MD helicopters, and F-5 and F-4 jets but has since moved onto repairing high-performance KF-16 and F-15 aircraft.

A partnership with the United States military began in 1979, with local engineers conducting maintenance work on F-16, F-15, KC-130Js tankers and A-10 ground attack aircraft.

The company has also successfully assembled light helicopters and jet fighters as well as the UH-60s and KF-16 jets used by the South Korean Air Force.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr

Citation :

Air Force successfully test fires guided missile



The Air Force said yesterday that its indigenously developed FA-50 fighter jet had succeeded in firing a guided missile that reached its intended target in the sea.

The live firing exercise took place on Wednesday over the East Sea, the Air Force said. During the drill, an FA-50 fighter jet fired a guided missile, an AGM-65G Maverick, from an altitude of 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) and hit its target about 7 kilometers away. The target was a retired ship.

“With the successful live firing, we were able to confirm the precision attack capability of the FA-50s, built with our own technologies,” said an Air Force official.

The FA-50 Fighting Eagle is a light combat aircraft manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries. It is a combat version of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic advanced jet trainer.

The FA-50s are meant to replace the military’s aging fleet of F-5s, and the Air Force started operationally deploying them last year.

Capable of flying at a maximum speed of Mach 1.5, the light attack aircraft can carry weapons weighing up to 4.5 tons and be armed with air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and general-purpose bombs. It is also mounted with a three-barrel Gatling gun.

The aircraft can also be armed with precision-guided weapons.

Korea signed a deal to export 12 indigenously developed FA-50s to Indonesia in 2011. Iraq also agreed to buy 24 units last year, and the Philippines earlier this year agreed to purchase 12 FA-50s.

http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com

Citation :

F-16 Upgrade: Problems With S. Korea-BAE Deal Could Open Door to Lockheed



WASHINGTON AND SEOUL — South Korea is threatening to break an agreement with BAE Systems to upgrade its fleet of KF-16s, opening a window of opportunity for competitor Lockheed Martin to reclaim its dominance in the lucrative F-16 upgrade market.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) selected BAE Systems’ North American subsidiary in December 2012 as prime integrator to take charge of software and hardware upgrades for 134 KF-16 aircraft. It represented the first time any company had beat Lockheed, the original producer of the F-16, for upgrades to the jet.

Both BAE and Lockheed have built their upgrade packages around new avionics, including dueling sets of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. Lockheed’s package features Northrop Grumman’s scalable agile-beam radar, while BAE selected Raytheon’s advanced combat radar. BAE has estimated the worldwide F-16 upgrade market could be worth as much as $10 billion over the next decade, with an estimated 1,000 to 1,300 jets in play.

Now BAE’s contract, which was signed under a foreign military sales deal, is in peril, something DAPA blames on both the US government and BAE Systems asking for additional funds for the work.

“The US government asks for about $470 million, and BAE Systems wants about $280 million,” DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyung said on Oct. 16, referring to costs beyond the $1.6 billion already paid. The US government cites “risk management” for the extra costs, Baek said, while BAE Systems calls for additional costs for a one-year delay in the project.

“We’ve engaged in talks with the US side over the request of extra money since August,” he said. “We believe the US is asking too much.”

If the two sides failed to bridge the differences, the deal could be nullified in the worst-case scenario, he said, adding the issue would be one of the agenda items for the upcoming South Korea-US security talks in Washington.

BAE spokesman Neil Franz acknowledged that “disagreements have recently emerged between the US Air Force and the Republic of Korea about the overall price of the program,” but said the company was “hopeful that a resolution will soon be reached.”

The US Air Force had no comment as of Oct. 17.
An Opening for Lockheed?

But while negotiations are ongoing, Lockheed Martin may already be moving aggressively to capitalize on what appears to be a major roadblock for BAE.

One source with knowledge of discussions said Lockheed is pushing a proposal to include engineering experience for South Korea’s next-generation indigenous fighter to sweeten the pot.

When the RoK agreed to procure 40 F-35A joint strike fighters from Lockheed in September, part of South Korea’s desired offsets package included significant man-years in engineering support for its future indigenous KF-X fighter development program. Under that plan, Korea will produce at least 120 twin-engine fighters by 2025 to replace its fleets of aging F-4s and F-5s.

The RoK wanted around 800 man-years worth of support from Lockheed under that deal, the source said. Lockheed countered with around 300 man-years of support and threw in a new satellite as part of the offset package, due to concerns the company could invest heavily in the KF-X design only to lose all that information to a competitor if the Koreans select a different company to build the jet.

South Korean officials accepted the satellite offer out of a desire to bolster its surveillance capabilities at a time of growing Chinese aggression in the region, but remained interested in more KF-X support.

The source said Lockheed is now dangling another 400 man-years in support for KF-X if South Korea ditches BAE in favor of Lockheed for the F-16 upgrade package. That could well be enough of an incentive to get South Korean officials to abandon their contract with BAE.

“My money is on Lockheed on this one,” the source added.

A spokesman for Lockheed said the company would not “speculate on rumors or comment on hypotheticals,” but did not rule out a play for the contract.

“What I can tell you is that Lockheed Martin values its relationships with its F-16 customers and stands ready to support their current and future needs,” the spokesman said. “We believe we are uniquely qualified as the original equipment manufacturer and design authority to provide best value to our F-16 operators around the world.”

If BAE’s deal with South Korea falls apart, it would be a mirror-image of the situation in Taiwan.

Officials in Taipei selected Lockheed’s offering for its F-16 upgrades as part of a joint program with the US Air Force known as the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES).

However, the US canceled its portion of that program this spring, preferring to spend those funds on a service-life extension program instead, leading to frustrations with Taiwanese officials that costs may shoot up without American participation.

BAE has been monitoring the situation, hoping Taiwan would abandon the CAPES program and launch a new competition. Instead, Taiwan appears to have been mollified by US promises to keep the upgrade program on track, and it is BAE which is suddenly at risk of losing a lucrative agreement.

This should not influence Taiwan’s contract with Lockheed Martin to upgrade its 146 F-16 fighters, but could influence the decision whether Singapore and other potential customers of the F-16 upgrade market go with Lockheed or BAE.

According to the DAPA, BAE began the first phase of KF-16 upgrades in June. A couple of KF-16 C/D Block 52 jets have already been sent to a BAE factory in Fort Worth, Texas, to be equipped with an up-to-date mission computer, cockpit-display and other avionics systems.

Phase 2 of the upgrades would involve the integration of the Raytheon AESA radars, ALR-69A all-digital radar warning receiver and weapon systems integration. ■

http://www.defensenews.com

Citation :

Sagem : contract from DSME to supply optronic masts for South Korea’s new KSS-III submarines

Euronaval 2014, Paris, October, 27th 2014

Following an international request for proposals, Sagem (Safran) has signed a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd (DSME) of South Korea, to supply the optronic surveillance masts for the country’s new submarines.

The selection of Sagem was made by a commission comprising members from the South Korean navy, DAPA (Defense Acquisition Program Administration), ADD (Agency for Defense Development) and DSME. The decisive factors in this decision were the best world-class competitiveness and performance level offered by Sagem’s optronic masts, especially in terms of image resolution and processing, and their easy integration in the ship’s combat suite.

This latest contract emphasizes the outstanding collaboration between South Korean industry and Sagem. Sagem’s new generation of optronic masts, which do not penetrate the thick hull, feature low-observability and radar stealth. In addition to the optronic (electro-optical) sensors from Sagem, they also include a signal intelligence system, and an infrared system for discreet communications.

The future optronic surveillance mast is derived from Sagem’s Series 30 masts already in production for the Scorpène class submarines built by French naval shipyard DCNS for international markets, and for the future Suffren class nuclear attack submarines in the French navy’s Barracuda program.

Sagem develops and produces for its partners a complete family of optronic masts and attack periscopes, electronic warfare equipment and radars for submarines.

The masts will be integrated at Sagem’s plant in Dijon and the infrared imagers in Poitiers.
- See more at: http://www.sagem.com/spip.php?article1252#sthash.agLaY9hn.dpuf

http://www.sagem.com

Citation :

(LEAD) Park hails deployment of S. Korea's FA-50 aircraft





SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Park Geun-hye called on the military Thursday to remain in full readiness as she hailed the operational deployment of South Korea's FA-50 aircraft.

"Now, our security situation is very grave," Park, wearing an Air Force jacket, said in a ceremony marking the deployment of the fighter jets built by Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer.

Park's comments came a day after North Korea rejected South Korea's offer of high-level talks in protest of anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

The two Koreas had agreed to hold high-level talks between late October and early November during a recent surprise visit to South Korea by a high-powered North Korean delegation. South Korea later proposed to hold the talks on Oct. 30 as North Korea had asked the South to set a date.

Park also described the deployment of the fighter jets as "a historic day" during her speech at the air force base in Wonju, some 130 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

Last month, South Korea's Air Force deployed a squadron of 20 FA-50 aircraft. It also plans to deploy 40 more FA-50 fighter jets in coming years to replace its aging fleet of U.S.-designed F-5Es and F-5Fs.

Park also called for efforts to produce more advanced fighter jets, saying the deployment of the FA-50 aircraft is the first step in the development of South Korea's fighter jets.

The FA-50 is a light attack variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer that was co-developed by KAI and U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin. It is the most advanced variant of the T-50 family operated by the South Korean Air Force.

After the speech, Park watched as two FA-50 jets executed an aerial maneuver.



The FA-50 has a radar warning receiver and a night vision imaging system, and is capable of carrying 4,500 kilograms of weapons. It also has a 20mm cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles.

In March, KAI signed a formal deal with the Philippines to sell 16 FA-50 fighter jets worth US$400 million to the Southeast Asian country.

entropy@yna.co.kr

english.yonhapnews.co.k

Citation :

South Korea plans to buy Russian air cushion landing craft

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/758259

Citation :

09/11/2014

Les coûts du F-35 plombent la modernisation des F-16!  



Séoul, la Corée du Sud a demandé au gouvernement américain l’annulation pure et simple du contrat avec BAE Systems pour la mise à niveau de ses 134 Lockheed-Martin F-16 Block 50/52 de la ROKAF.

Décision américaine :

Le contrat initial de modernisation des F-16 coréens qui date de janvier 2012 était estimé à près de 1,2 milliards de dollars américain, et devait permettre de changer le radar actuel à antenne mécanique avec un nouveau radar doté d’une antenne à balayage électronique.

Cette modernisation devait se faire en parallèle avec l’US Air Force, mais, celle-ci a finalement opté pour une mise à jour minimaliste. De fait le coût de développement devenait trop lourd à supporter pour la Corée du Sud, qui s’est par ailleurs, engagée sur l’onéreux programme F-35.


Equipementiers américains et anglais fâchés :

Le programme de modernisation initial des F-16 coréens et américains comprenait

l’installation du radar  RACR (Radar Raytheon Advanced Combat). Il s’agit d’une version dérivée de l’AN/APG-79 développé par Raytheon de type AESA ,dont la plateforme et l’antenne sont adapté selon l’avion, soit le F-16, F-15 ou F/A-18.

Cette solution de radar AESA a été conçu, pour équiper l’ensemble des appareils de la gamme F-16, F-15 et F/A-18 déjà en service. Par rapport à l’ancien radar à antenne mécanique le radar AESA RACR apporte une détection étendue avec amélioration du suivit des cibles. La précision d’engagement est améliorée et le radar offre une nette amélioration des capacité de guerre électronique.



Cette décision porte un coup au développement du radar RACR de Raytheon ainsi que de celui de son concurrent le SABR de Northrop-Grumman. De plus, les différents systèmes connexes qui devaient entrer dans la modernisation du F-16, dont BAE Systems était le maitre d’oeuvre se retrouve eux aussi en difficultés.

Il faut comprendre que pour ces divers fournisseurs, la modernisation du F-16 était une alternative intéressante face aux coûts énormes du F-35 «Lightning II». Cette décision est justement motivée par le fait, que les pays ayant choisi le F-35 se retrouvent avec des surcoûts tels, qu’ils ne peuvent aujourd’hui plus assumer la modernisation des aéronefs en service.


Trop cher F-35 :

L’US Air Force et la ROKAF comptaient justement compenser le nombre de F-35 en gardant une flotte mixte avec les F-16 et autres F-15 modernisés. Cette option devait normalement permettre de garder une dotation suffisante en avions de combat. Ce revirement pose aujourd’hui donc une problématique supplémentaire aux futurs utilisateurs du F-35.

Israël vient justement de prendre une décision inverse, l’Etat Hébreu vient de refuser l’achat de F-35 supplémentaires, afin justement de ne pas péjorer sa flotte de F-16, par ailleurs modernisée (voir article sur le sujet). L’Israël compte bien garder la main et disposer d’une flotte modernisée et en nombre suffisant qui ne dépendrait, donc pas, des surcoûts du F-35, sage décision.


Photos : 1 F-35 en vol @ Lockheed-Martin 2 F-16 d’essai avec le radar RACR@ Raytheon 3 F-16 ROKAF@ ROKAF

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2014/11/09/les-couts-du-f-35-plombent-la-modernisation-des-f-16-857410.html

Citation :

FA-50s committed to better defense of peninsula



FA-50, Korea's first homegrown light attack-aircraft, was used on its first official mission late last month and Air Force Lt. Col. Cho Sang-hwan described deployment of the plane as a "watershed in the history" of the Korean military.

On Oct. 30, the Air Force held a ceremony to celebrate the airplane's operational deployment, which was attended by President Park Geun-hye.

The FA-50 is a variant of the T-50 supersonic trainer jet, manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).

"The ceremony confirmed the transition from analog aircraft to digital, displaying a combination of the nation's advanced aviation technology and top-notch pilots and maintenance crews," said Cho, commander of the 103rd Flight Squadron, home to the light attack aircraft.

Since August 2013, 20 FA-50s have been deployed to the Air Force and 40 more are scheduled to enter service by the end of 2016.

The Air Force plans to use the indigenous aircraft in place of its aging F-5 fighters.

However, there are lingering doubts over whether the "low-class" airplane will be able to replace the much-touted F-5s.

Cho believes that reputation does not matter in this case, stressing that the FA-50 has more advanced features than the F-5s.

"The FA-50 shows quicker and more precise strike capability than the F-5 using Korea GPS Guided Bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munitions and a wind corrected munitions dispenser," he said.

"In addition, the digitalized aircraft can execute advanced air combat maneuvering and its tactical data-link system enables pilots to judge real-time combat situations."

Cho is the first commanding officer of the unit to fly the FA-50s.

"Beginning with the ceremony, our men will try our very best to keep the FA-50s ready to fight," he said.

The Air Force officer also hoped that the FA-50 deployment would contribute to the nation's indigenous fighter project, codenamed "KF-X."

"The successful transition from the T-50 to the FA-50 will give important baseline data for the KF-X project. Using my experience, I want to contribute to the scheme moving along, even if it's only in a small way," he said.

The FA-50 has emerged as a hot military item internationally also, and already deals to sell 24 aircraft to Iraq and 12 to the Philippines have been made.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr

Citation :

(LEAD) S. Korea to put K-2 combat tank into full service by 2017


SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- The arms procurement agency said Wednesday it will complete the deployment of some 100 next-generation battle tanks fitted with an indigenous engine and transmission by 2017.

During a defense project committee meeting presided over by Defense Minister Han Min-koo, the government decided to deploy the K-2 Black Panther by the end of 2017, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The development of the advanced combat vehicle had been delayed after it repeatedly failed to meet the military's requirements due to faulty components. Despite some controversy, the Joint Chiefs of Staff lowered the bar for its acceleration performance, paving the way for its deployment.

"The K-2 battle tank will allow the military to have advanced combat vehicles with improved mobility and firepower fit for future environments," DAPA spokesman Kim Si-cheol said.

"We can overcome numerical inferiority compared to North Korea with this high-quality battle tank, and we expect the K-2 to be actively exported to foreign markets," he added.

The sheer number of North Korea's battle tanks is some 1.7 times larger than that of the South, though most of what the communist country owns are outdated, the spokesman said without elaborating.

The battle tank development project worth more than 2 trillion won (US$1.84 billion) first began in 2006 after a decade of research and development to replace tanks, including the K1 and the aging U.S.-built M48.

It features an auto-loaded 120mm cannon, reaches speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour and can cross rivers as deep as 4.1 meters using a snorkel, according to DAPA. Modeled after the German-developed MTU-890, the K2 features a 1,500-horsepower diesel engine and transmission.

Some 100 K-2 tanks were put into service beginning in July this year.

The K-2 main battle tank (Yonhap file photo) The K-2 main battle tank (Yonhap file photo)

In the meeting, the Seoul government also approved a plan to buy the Aegis Combat System from the U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin for the country's three Aegis destroyers called Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyer set to be deployed starting in 2023 under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

The integrated naval weapons system uses powerful computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to destroy targets, according to the defense company.

"The Gwanggaeto-III destroyers armed with the world's top-class combat system will greatly boost our ability to counter threats from land, sea and air by allowing them to detect, track and intercept ballistic missiles," spokesman Kim said.

DAPA is planning to sign a contract with the U.S. in the first half of next year, he noted, while refusing to comment on the projected budget for the program.

Meanwhile, the government reversed its plan and decided not to put on the table whether to change the contractor for its project to upgrade aging F-16 fighters from British defense company BAE Systems to Lockheed Martin.

In 2012, South Korea selected BAE as the contractor to upgrade 134 F-16 jets, but the project suffered delays for unclear reasons, and South Korea halted the contract after the U.S. government asked for about 500 billion won and BAE about 300 billion won in additional costs, which Seoul saw as excessive.

"Discussions are underway with the U.S. government, and after the process, we will lay this issue before the committee meeting due next month," Kim said.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr

Citation :

ROC Navy started sea trials of its new fast combat support ship AOE 532 "Panshi"




http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/year-2014-news/november-2014-navy-naval-forces-maritime-industry-technology-security-global-news/2191-roc-navy-started-sea-trials-of-its-new-fast-combat-support-ship-aoe-532-qpanshiq.html

Citation :

Competition heats up for tanker procurement deal

SEATTLE/GETAFE, Spain ― Competition for Seoul’s project to procure four aerial tankers is heating up as contenders highlight the ways they can help enhance South Korea’s air defense with several months to go until the announcement of the winner.

Currently three competitors ― Boeing’s KC-46, Airbus’ A330 MRTT and Israel Aerospace Industries’ B767 MMTT ― have been vying to clinch the deal worth 1.4 trillion won ($1.25 billion) since Seoul gave public notice of its plan in March to introduce four tankers between 2017 and 2019.

Seoul initially planned to announce the winner next month. But its decision is expected to be delayed to early next year as negotiations are likely to be prolonged due to the bidders’ failure to meet the requirements Seoul proposed as part of the offset agreements.
Airbus’ A330 MRTT (left), Boeing’s KC-46

“We are nearing the tail end of our price negotiations. But the competitors’ proposals regarding the offset agreements are yet to satisfy our targets. Thus, there may be a delay in choosing the winner,” an official of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, declining to be named.

“But we are trying our best now in consideration of our best national interests. We may need at least one or two more months to finish negotiations.”

In the defense sector, offset agreements usually involve technology transfer and other support programs.

The South Korean military has set its sights on refueling aircraft since the mid-1990s as its fighters can operate over vulnerable areas such as its easternmost islets of Dokdo ― which Japan has claimed ― for only half an hour. With refueling, combat aircraft could operate for longer durations.

Highlighting interoperability with the U.S. Air Force, military protection systems, fuel efficiency and cheaper operating costs, Boeing has touted its KC-46 tanker, a military derivative of the 767 aircraft, as the “combat multirole tanker, (the) only one of its kind in the world.”

Pointing out that the U.S. Air Force is to procure 179 KC-46s by 2027, Boeing stresses that the KC-46 is the best candidate for South Korea in terms of interoperability with its long-standing security ally, the U.S.

“We think there is a great opportunity around the world for the KC-46, not only in Korea but in some other parts of the world because of the capability of the jet, but also the commonality and interoperability with all the forces around the world,” Timothy Norgart, vice president of Business Development for Boeing Military, told reporters.

Apart from the interoperability, Boeing underscores a series of wartime defensive features including enhanced capability to fend off electromagnetic pulse attacks and operate under chemical and biological combat environments, night-vision abilities and an armored crew compartment.

In terms of the capability to carry fuel and passengers, the KC-46 lags behind Airbus’ A330 MRTT. It can carry 96.1 tons of fuel along with up to 114 passengers, while the A330 MRTT can carry 111 tons of fuel and 266 passengers.

But Boeing argues that a bigger plane does not necessarily make it a better tanker, and that a smaller plane could operate in any airfields in any part of the world, while a bigger plane may have difficulty entering and maneuvering in small airfields.

It also claims that to make the tanker lighter to be absolutely efficient, tanker operators should ensure that they carry only the amount of the fuel needed for their specific missions ― mostly training missions.

“You don’t just send the tanker up in the air to sit as a gas station. When the tanker takes off, it is going off for a specific mission, you are going to know exactly how many planes you are going to refuel, you know exactly how much gas you need,” said Conrad Chun, Boeing’s senior communications officer.

“That is how much you are going to take up with you. We are not taking any more, because it is going to be too much weight, meaning it would cost you more money (to operate the tanker).”

Another strong point that Boeing emphasizes is its sixth-generation refueling boom capability, which the company has developed for some 33 years.

The boom can transfer 1,200 gallons of fuel per minute to a fuel receiver and has a far wider “refueling envelop” ― the volume of air behind the tanker that a receiver can operate in ― which would help fighter pilots more easily receive fuel from the tanker.

The weakest point of the KC-46 is that the development of the tanker has yet to be completed. Though the target year for its completion is 2017, that is the same year Seoul wants to start deploying the tanker. Critics express concerns that Korea may end up failing to thoroughly check the stated capabilities of the KC-46 before 2017.

But Airbus’ A330 MRTT is an already developed tanker, which Britain, Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, France, Qatar and India have decided to purchase. Spain is also considering the MRTT as a potential candidate for its tanker acquisition program.

“With 34 units sold to five major air forces and having been selected as preferred bidder in India, Qatar, France and Spain, the A330 MRTT is the only solution which offers proven operational effectiveness,” Irene Barrio Martin, the manager of the MRTT Market Development, told reporters.

“Furthermore, these earlier customers have borne the development costs and technological risk derived from those technically immature solutions that have never been operationally tested yet. The MRTT is therefore a cost-effective and zero-risk option with no possibility of time or cost overruns.”

The A330 MRTT is based on the A330-200, one of the popular civil platforms. Airbus underscores its tanker’s capability to conduct a variety of missions including air-to-air refueling, the transport of passengers and military personnel, and aerial medical evacuation.

“The selection in recent years, by five of the world’s premier air forces of Airbus A330 MRTT ― enjoying almost total market dominance ― underlines the versatility and adaptability of our tanker,” said Martin.

Airbus officials dismiss the concerns that only the U.S. tanker would ensure interoperability with the U.S. Air Force.

“The A330 MRTT physical compatibility with receivers across the world was established, demonstrated and certified to allow coalition interoperability,” said Airbus in a media presentation.

“In order to provide the best practice in the air-to-air refueling missions, air forces gather around proven training opportunities in the international area where American (KC-10 and KC-135 tankers) and European tankers (A310 MRTT and A330 MRTT) physically train together.”

Like Boeing’s 767 aircraft platform, Airbus stresses the popularity of the A330 platform and its global maintenance support system. Currently more than 1,080 A330 aircraft are in service, while more than 1,000 767 aircraft are also in operation.

Israel’s IAI has offered a tanker based on the secondhand 767 aircraft. As it is a tanker made out of a used plane, the price is known to be around half the price of its competitors.

By Song Sang-ho, Joint Press Corps
(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)

Citation :

S. Korean Navy receives new amphibious landing ship



SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Navy took delivery Friday of the country's first indigenous next-generation amphibious landing ship expected to boost the military's landing and transportation capabilities, the state arms procurer said.

The 4,500-ton LTS-II ship Cheonwangbong, named after the country's second-highest peak of Mount Jiri in the southern region, had been built with the country's own technology by shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. since 2011.

Capable of accommodating 300 fully-armed troops as well as amphibious tanks and two helicopters, the vessel gives the military advanced mobility and loading capabilities, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The ship, which is 126 meters long and 19 meters wide, can sail at a maximum speed of 23 knots.

After some five months of test runs and other necessary procedures, the Navy plans to put it into service in the first half of next year, according to officers.



"The next-generation landing ship can play diverse roles, including carrying out landing operations duties, transporting goods to bases and remote areas, and conducting warfare against local provocations," the DAPA said in a statement.

"It is also expected to enhance national dignity by being dispatched to diverse peace-keeping operations overseas," it added.

Also Friday, the Navy received its 17th guided-missile destroyer to be in charge of defending the country's shoreline and harbors.

Equipped with the latest indigenous weaponry including ship-to-ship guided missiles, the 450-ton, high-speed ship can sail at a top speed of 40 knots with 40 crew members, according to DAPA.

graceoh@yna.co.kr

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/

Citation :

Presidential jet to be fitted with anti-missile defense systems



Updated: 2014-12-22 06:32:51 KST
South Korea's presidential jet will be fitted with anti-missile gear by 2016, at a cost of some 27 million U.S. dollars.
A military official said on Sunday that the presidential jet will be equipped with a missile approach warning system and a device designed to confuse a missile's infra-red guidance system so that it misses its target.
Korea's arms procurement agency will soon take steps to select a manufacturer for the missile defense systems and will purchase the equipment under a government-to-government deal with the U.S.
The jet will be on lease to the presidential office until 2020, under a contract renewed with Korean Air last October

mkji@arirang.co.kr

Citation :

Raytheon awarded $491 million contract for AMRAAM®

TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is being awarded a fixed-price contract $491,478,068 for the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile. The contract is for the production of the AMRAAM® missile and other AMRAAM system items, including the captive air training missile, common munitions bit/reprogramming equipment and non-developmental item airborne instrumentation unit.

The contract includes foreign military sales to Korea, Oman, Singapore and Thailand.

Work will be performed in Tucson and is expected to be completed by February 2017.

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com

Citation :

S. Korea to conduct first missile defense drill next year

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to conduct its first missile defense drill in the first half of next year to test the effectiveness of locally developed defense programs in the face of North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, a government source said Monday.

South Korea has been developing its own Kill-Chain and Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) systems to better detect and respond to military provocations from the North.

"Military authorities are planning our first independent Korean Peninsula missile defense drill during the first half of next year," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"I understand that the drill is aimed at testing the effectiveness of the KAMD and Kill-Chain systems that have been developed by our military and identifying any flaws."

The drill is expected to run on the missile defense simulation model developed jointly with the United States, the source added.

The exercise is also likely to use military intelligence provided by Japan under a trilateral pact signed earlier in the day.

The agreement, also involving the U.S., calls for sharing military secrets on North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

(END)

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr

Enseignements du Pyeongchang le 8 janvier 2015

Citation :

S. Korean Navy to set up submarine command next month

The South Korean Navy will set up a submarine command next month as part of efforts to boost the country's underwater capabilities, a naval officer said Sunday.

"The submarine command will be established on Feb. 1 in the southern port city of Jinhae after extending the current 9th submarine flotilla," the naval officer said, requesting anonymity.

The new command will be in charge of the naval underwater capabilities under the leadership of a two-star general, he added.

"It will operate nine 1,200-ton submarines and four 1,800-ton ones the Navy currently has and will run five more 1,800-ton submarines to be built by 2018," the officer said.

As part of efforts to bolster its anti-submarine capabilities in the wake of the North's deadly attack on its warship Cheonan in 2010, South Korea is also planning to put six 3,000-ton ballistic missile submarines into operation starting in 2020. The sinking killed 46 South Korean sailors, while Pyongyang has denied any involvement.

According to military sources, North Korea far outnumbers South Korea in terms of submarines, though they are outdated.

Pyongyang is believed to have some 70 submarines including some 20 1,800-ton Romeo-class submarines and to build a new submarine capable of firing missiles, according to the sources in South Korea and the U.S. (Yonhap)

http://www.koreaherald.com

Citation :

South Korea To Develop Spy Satellites This Year, And Surface-To-Air L-SAM Missiles

South Korea is set to develop new military reconnaissance satellites this year and the first five units will be deployed by 2022, the country’s military officials announced Monday. The latest developments are part of broader efforts by the government to boost the country’s defense capabilities to better deal with growing security threats from North Korea.

The new project is part of the South Korean defense ministry’s policy goals for this year, which focus on forming “a creative defense system” with a greater use of advanced information technology, Yonhap News Agency reported. The country’s procurement agency is expected to sign a deal with a private company in October, Yonhap reported, adding that the project could cost $928.2 million, and will be led by the country's Agency for Defense Development.

“The spy satellite, which is capable of securing imagery intelligence on the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding regions, is the key detection asset for the country's preemptive strike apparatus of the Kill Chain and the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system,” an anonymous military officer told Yonhap.

According to another official, the new satellites will be powerful enough to detect objects as small as cars, and will be loaded with a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar or an electrooptic-infrared (EO-IR) surveillance device, Yonhap reported.

“A total of five units will be put into service by 2022 starting 2020,” the official said. “The satellites will allow us to detect North Korea's transporter erector launchers within some two to three hours of their deployment.”

In addition to the spy satellites, Seoul is also planning to begin a project to develop long-range, surface-to-air missiles (L-SAM) to compete with North Korea’s guided missiles. The missiles will reportedly be capable of intercepting other missiles at an altitude of about 25 miles or more.

In an effort to nullify North Korean threats, the South also plans to develop various defense equipment, including high-powered microwave weapons, a laser beam-based electromagnetic pulse and an unmanned battleship, according to Yonhap.

http://www.ibtimes.com

Citation :

Amphibious assault Surion makes maiden flight


Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has conducted the maiden flight of a Surion transport helicopter optimised for amphibious assault operations.

On 19 January the modified Surion, also designed the Korea Utility Helicopter (KUH) flew for 30 minutes with two test pilots and two technicians on boards, says KAI.

Asset Image

All images courtesy of KAI

Asset Image

Asset Image

The sortie, which took place at KAI’s Sacheon factory, included ground tests, forward flight, backward flight, and hovering.

The type is optimised for the South Korean marines, and features a foldable main rotor and an auxiliary fuel tank. The helicopter also has emergency floats that can be deployed in the event of a ditching.

Throughout 2015 the amphibious Surion will be tested in a range of environments, including cold weather and aboard ships.

In April 2013, KAI told Flightglobal that the marines would acquire “about 40” of the variant. The helicopter is likely to serve aboard the navy’s Dokdo amphibious assault ships, of which one is in service, and one is being built.

KAI said the development programme is worth W800 billion ($738 million) and will enhance the marines' ability to transport troops and equipment in the littoral environment. Production of the variant will likely commence after the 2015 testing campaign.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Combat de tir militaires de la corée du sud sur le polygone, dans la province de Gyeonggi, Corée du Sud, le 11 février 2015.