Amid Growing North Korean Threats, South Korea Adds Another 20 F-35A Fighter Aircrafts

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In response to escalating military threats from North Korea, South Korea has acquired an additional 20 F-35 fighter jets, bringing its total fleet of fifth-generation aircraft to 59.

The Defense Acquisition Agency (DAPA) of South Korea announced the purchase of 20 F-35A jets worth US$5.06 billion (RM22.7 billion) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program two days ago.

“The final agreement for the acquisition of F-35A aircraft with Lockheed Martin was signed on December 8,” stated the agency, highlighting the fifth-generation fighter’s high-level defense capabilities and radar performance.

South Korea is set to receive the first batch of 20 F-35A fighter jets starting from the year 2027.

In the past year, North Korea has conducted approximately 100 tests of guided missile launches capable of targeting the United States.

 The intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) “Hwasong-15,” with a range of 13,000km, only requires 33 minutes to reach the United States.

 

In response to Pyongyang’s provocations, South Korea and the United States have escalated joint military exercises and deployed strategic military assets, including aircraft carriers, bombers, and submarines carrying nuclear-guided missiles, near South Korea.

The additional F-35A aircraft in South Korea’s possession are expected to exhibit enhanced performance, including improved threat response capabilities, safety/encryption functions, and armed operational capabilities compared to its previous F-35A fleet.

“These F-35A aircraft will have 1.5 times larger weapon bays than previous aircraft and will be equipped with modern weaponry such as the GBU-56 smart bomb (L-JDAM),” stated a senior DAPA official.

 

 The F-35A operates not only with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) but also in 17 other countries, totaling over 1,000 F-35 fighter jets. It is a proven fighter aircraft in terms of performance,” according to the DAPA official.

Seoul began receiving its initial order of 40 F-35 jets from 2019 to 2021. However, one of the aircraft had to be decommissioned after colliding with a bird in an incident last year.

The cost of repairing the F-35A involved in the bird strike incident is estimated to be around RM400 million. — DSA

 

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