Eurofighter promises to transfer technology to Korea

A leading European aircraft maker has reiterated that if selected as the successful applicant for Korea’s advanced fighter jet acquisition program the company will transfer technology to Korea. 

The Eurofighter consortium of four nations has the willpower to share not only work but also knowledge with other partners, said Enzo Casolini, CEO of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company’s (EADS), in a news conference in Farnborough, 50km southwest of London, Britain, July 10.

Berndt Wunsche, head of the EADS’ combat air systems, also promised to provide Korea with a final assembly line for the Eurofighter Typhoon as well as necessary tooling and other resources.

Three-way competition for Korea’s FX-III project was underway at the Farnborough International Air Show. Two other bidders are Boeing with its F-15SE and Lockheed Martin with the F-35. The biennial international aerospace exhibition ended on July 15.

None of the other competitors has thus far offered such an extensive technology transfer, not to mention construction of a final assembly line as part of their proposals for the fighter jet procurement program, military sources in Seoul said.

Exhibits on display in front of the venue for the air show included Eurofighter jets moved from air bases in Spain and other European countries. 

Boeing and Lockheed Martin appeared to be relatively less positive than the EADS in publicity activities. Boeing did not present any F-15 SE at the air show, while Lockheed Martin came up with a replica of the F-35. 

However, Greg Waldron, a reporter for the Flight Global defense magazine, forecast that the competition for Korea’s next-generation fighter program will be a two-way contest between Boeing’s F-15 SE and Lockheed Martin’s F-35. 

Boeing has a strong competitive edge as it provided 60 F-15Ks, which will be at least 80 percent comparable with the latest F-15 variant it wants to sell to Korea.

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 is the only one that met the Korean Air Force’s earlier requirements due largely to the fifth-generation fighter’s stealth features and internal weapons bay.

Under its next-generation fighter program, Korea plans to deploy 60 cutting-edge jets from 2016 through 2020.

Korean opposition parties have called on the incumbent government to immediately stop the next-generation fighter program, which has been mishandled due to incompetence and stubbornness, and let the next administration deal with it.