S. Korea Picks GE to Provide Engines for Fighters

[Zarvan]

KAI

South Korea has picked GE Aviation to supply engines for KF-X fighter. Korea Aerospace Industries is the lead contractor on the program.

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has chosen US conglomerate General Electric (GE) over a European competitor as the preferred bidder to supply engines for a multibillion-dollar fighter jet project, government officials said.


"Our plan is to finalize a contract in June," a spokesman at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) told AFP.

GE Aviation was chosen over a European Eurojet consortium that included Rolls-Royce Holdings and MTU Aero Engines AG.

South Korea is looking to develop a fleet of 120 "indigenous" next-generation, multirole fighter jets over the next 10 years to replace its aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters imported from the United States.


The Korean Fighter Experimental (KF-X) program has an 18 trillion won (US $15.2 billion) budget, with Indonesia signing on board as a junior partner earlier this year.

Indonesia would cover about 20 percent of the cost, with up to 100 Indonesian workers taking part in the development and production process.

While DAPA will be the government agency supervising the project, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) will lead the industrial team that is tasked with bringing the program to fruition.

KAI won the development tender in March last year with a bid made in partnership with US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.


South Korea had sought to tap into 25 fighter jet technologies owned by Lockheed Martin, but the US government prohibited the export of four of them — including the sensitive technology to build active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/de...a-picks-ge-provide-engines-fighters/84963934/

@Indos @madokafc @Horus @Oscar

 

[Water Car Engineer]

Likely AMCA will be powered by GE engines as well.

 

[Indos]

European Consortium has also offered their engine to us last year. So IFX might use European engine instead since IFX will not in precise KFX configuration.

KAI


Indonesia would cover about 20 percent of the cost, with up to 100 Indonesian workers taking part in the development and production process.

@Indos @madokafc @Horus @Oscar

100 engineers to more precise is sent for the second phase which is still in development but news from PT Dirgantara Indonesia Director said that he will send 200 engineers (only for development process).

In term of production process we will make some parts in PT Dirgantara Indonesia and has assembling facility as well which is for next phase (mass production). The factory (building) has already been ready actually.

Indonesia has also joined the program since 2011 (not this year as the article said) and has contributed in first phase of KFX/IFX development that results in C 103 design.