ADEX 2017: KF-X now under refinement
A spokesperson for Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said its next-generation fighter aircraft, the KF-X, is undergoing ‘refinement and its configuration is being altered as testing continues’.
The design, being developed with assistance from Lockheed Martin, will undergo a preliminary design review in mid-2018.
Media reports indicate the South Korean government has invested more than $7 billion into the programme to produce a 4.5-generation multirole fighter with the expectation that around 120 would be procured by the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and 80 by the Indonesian Air Force.
The twin-engine aircraft is on schedule and the first prototype is expected to
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Defence Notes
-
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
-
Global tensions drive defence supply chain scrutiny
Governments worldwide are scrambling to decouple defence supply chains from dependency upon strategic rivals, but countries could struggle to do it all themselves.
-
How deepening AI usage can boost efficiency and maximise effects for forces
Saab has outlined how it is using artificial intelligence to make training more like electronic gaming, while the UK’s Power Size Technologies is applying the same technology to better evaluate and design vehicle capability, moving AI-enabled innovation further upstream from the frontline.
-
From systems integrator to multi-domain solutions provider (video)
Philipp von Brandenstein, Head of Corporate Communications at Rheinmetall, explains how Eurosatory 2026 marked a new stage in the company's evolution.
-
US Pentagon pushes for major reform of defence acquisition system
The US Department of Defense has requested new contracting authorities from Congress, using the Army's MV-75 Cheyenne programme to demonstrate how competition, digital engineering and closer industry collaboration could accelerate acquisitions.