Korea Aerospace Industries KF-X

KAI KF-X
280px Vue de l’avion
Constructeur	Korea Aerospace Industries Dirgantara Indonesia
Rôle	Avion multirôle
Mise en service	[[2020|]] 2020
Coût unitaire	50 millions de $ US
modifier

Le Korea Aerospace Industries KF-X est un programme sud-coréen de développement d'un avion multirôle destiné à l'armée de l'air de la République de Corée (Republic of Korea Air Force ou ROKAF) et de l'armée de l'air indonésienne (TNI-AU) et initié par la Corée du Sud, avec l'Indonésie comme partenaire principal^[1]. C'est le second programme de développement d'un avion de combat par la Corée du Sud après le KAI T-50 Golden Eagle.

Le projet a été annoncé pour la première fois par le président sud-coréen Kim Dae-Jung at the graduation ceremony of the Air Force Academy in March 2001. The initial operational requirements for the KF-X program as stated by the ADD (Agency for Defence Development) were to develop a single-seat, twin-engine jet with stealth capabilities beyond either the Dassault Rafale or Eurofighter Typhoon, but still less than the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. L'objectif global du programme est la production, en 2020, d'un avion de combat avec des possibilités supérieures à celles du KF-16^[2],[3].

Conception et développement

According to the Weapon Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University, the KF-X is intended to be a superior than KF-16 which would replace South Korea's aging F-4D/E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft, with production numbers estimated to be over 250 aircraft. Compared to KF-16, the KF-X will have a 50% greater combat radius, 34% longer airframe lifespan, better avionics including a domestically produced AESA radar, and better electronic warfare, IRST, and datalink capabilities. Operational requirements also specify 50,000 pounds of thrust provided by one or preferably two engines, high-speed interception and supercruise capabilities, basic stealth technology, and multirole capabilities. There are currently two competing designs for the KFX, the KFX-201 which has a tri-plane layout with canards and a more conventional, F-35 style KFX-101 design.

South Korea will fund 60% of the aircraft's development, and expects foreign partners to provide the remaining 40% of the development funding^[4]. La Corée du Sud détient 63% de la technologie nécessaire pour produire le KF-X et cherche donc la coopération de Dirgantara Indonesia, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Saab, Boeing et Lockheed Martin pour développer cet appareil. Environ 120 KF-X seraient fabriqués initialement, suivis de 130 appareils supplémentaires une fois que ceux de la première phase auraient atteint un niveau opérationnel^[5]. Le coût d'une unité est estimé à environ 50 millions de dollars US^[6],[7].

In October 2009 a retired general in the South Korean Air Force was arrested for leaking classified documents to Swedish aviation and defence corporation Saab. The general was to have been given a bribe of several hundred thousand dollars for copies of a number of secret documents that he had photographed in the South Korean Defence University. Saab officials denied any involvement^[8],[9],[10].

On 15 July 2010, the Indonesia government agreed to fund 20% of KF-X project cost in return of around 50 planes built for Indonesian Air Force after project completion^[11]. In September 2010, Indonesia sent a team of legal and aviation experts to South Korea to discuss copyright issues of the aircraft^[12].

On 7 September 2010, Maj. Gen. Choi Cha-kyu, director general of the aircraft program bureau at the Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said that Turkey was interested in joining the program^[13],[5].

On 15 December 2010, a senior Turkish procurement official said that "What we need is a true and equal partnership for the development of a fighter. The problem is that South Korea is not likely to agree to an equal partnership"^[14].

In December 2010 the program shifted from a F-16 class fighter to a stealth aircraft in order to respond to North Korean pressure^[15].

Specifications

Modèle:Aero specs missing

• Avionics
  • Datalink capabilities
  • AESA radar
  • IRST

Notes

1. ↑ Perrett, Bradley. "Seoul Drops KFX Technology Target To Generation 4.5." Aviation Week, 20 September 2009.
2. ↑ Korea Develops Homemade Stealth Technology. Koreatimes.co.kr (2009-03-24). Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
3. ↑ 공군 주력전투기 '5세대 스텔스' 배제 가능성 – 아시아경제. Asiae.co.kr. Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
4. ↑ Seoul seeks to make own jets, choppers
5. ↑ ^{a et b} Turkey could join Korea’s fighter plan
6. ↑ South Korea Drops 5th-Generation Fighter Plan. Defense News (2009-07-23). Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
7. ↑ S. Korea Reconsidering Stealth Fighter Plans, Korea Times, 07-27-2009
8. ↑ Korean anhölls för läcka till Saab – rapport. svt.se. Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
9. ↑ Saab suspected of bribes in South Korean jet deal. Swedishwire.com. Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
10. ↑ Military Aviation News: Saab being investigated in South Korea over KF-X info leak. Alert 5 (2009-10-07). Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
11. ↑ Indonesia-Korsel Kembangkan Jet KF-X – KOMPAS.com. Internasional.kompas.com (2010-07-15). Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
12. ↑ RI seeks copyright deal in KFX jet program
13. ↑ Turkey may develop fighter aircraft with S Korea, Indonesia – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review. Hurriyetdailynews.com. Retrieved on 2011-04-26.
14. ↑ ENGİNSOY, ÜMİT. "Turkey to build ‘national, original’ fighter aircraft." Hurriyet Daily News, 16 December 2010.
15. ↑ "S. Korea considers building own stealth fighter jets ." Yonhap News Agency, 27 December 2010.

Liens externes

• Korea Aerospace Industries' future plan for the KFX