ADEX 2015: LM officials say KFX technology transfer issues out of their hands

James Hardy, Seoul - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
21 October 2015

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The US's refusal to hand over key technology for Seoul's KFX programme has become a political issue between the two countries. Source: IHS/James Hardy

Key Points

• Lockheed Martin officials have said the US government's decision to block the export of four key technologies to South Korea for the KFX future fighter programme is out of their hands
• The decision not to share AESA and other high-tech systems information with Seoul may complicate bilateral collaboration on the indigenous 4.5-gen fighter

The United States' refusal to allow the export of four 'key' technologies to South Korea for the KFX future fighter programme is a "sovereign issue" in the hands of the two countries' governments, said defence industry officials at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX) 2015.

South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirmed in mid-October that the US had refused to export four of 25 technology suites requested as part of an offset package agreed in the 2014 acquisition of Lockheed Martin's (LM's) F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.

That acquisition, under Seoul's FX-III requirement, also generated political controversy in South Korea. This arose after the first platform to be recommended, the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle concept, was rejected in September 2013 because the South Korean government decided it lacked 'fifth-generation' stealth characteristics. Eurofighter had also offered its Typhoon, which was rejected on cost grounds.

The four technologies relate to active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) targeting pods, infrared search and track (IRST) systems, and radio frequency jammers. Technology for the remaining 21 technology suites - including flight control systems, avionics, system integration, materials, and weapons - is expected to be approved.

Eric Schnaible, Lockheed Martin's F-35 communications manager, told IHS Jane's on 22 October that it was "an internal [government] decision and a sovereign issue, by and large, that we're really not a party to".

"As part of the FX-III programme we signed up for the offset elements and, of course, KFX is a big part of that," said Dick Cathers, director, F-35 Korea for Lockheed Martin

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