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KF-X / IF-X stealth fighter aircraft of South Korea & Indonesia (images)

Please be aware that an artist took a liberty when designing those graphics from the government released images, and contains certain errors especially the conformal weapons bay.

The KFX conformal weapons bay blends into the airframe, and does not protrude like conventional CFTs. The KFX airframe is designed with CFT/CWB in mind from the beginning.

mil-avia-if-x-jet-defence.pk-shinshin-pak-fa.jpg
 
I think we should have joined KFX and we made a mistake but isit air-to-air as we are getting f-35 which is air-to-ground already
 
i hope this program doing well and give benefit ot my country
 
which party makes the engine, radar, weapon system?
 
which party makes the engine, radar, weapon system?

engine : It will be imported via an international open bidding.
radar : Korea
weapon system : Korea + standard NATO weapons such as AMRAAM, Sidewinder, and JDAM.
avionics : Korea
EO sensor : Korea
RAM : Korea
 
engine : It will be imported via an international open bidding.
radar : Korea
weapon system : Korea + standard NATO weapons such as AMRAAM, Sidewinder, and JDAM.
avionics : Korea
EO sensor : Korea
RAM : Korea

south korea has said it will have about 60% percent opf the tech require, the remaining 40% will come from partners of international bids
 
love the images seems the projets in growing far but now real images mate
 
KAI Publishes Small KF-X Concept

KF-X-KAI.jpg

KFX-E stealthy fighter concept based on its T-50 series (image : KAI)

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has published a drawing of a moderately stealthy fighter concept based on its T-50 series of supersonic trainers and light-attack aircraft. The concept aircraft is far smaller and less ambitious than the all-new, twin-engine KF-X designs promoted by the Agency for Defense Development, the leading proponent of building an indigenous South Korea fighter.

Some South Korean industry officials doubt that the country has the technical resources to build the KF-X, especially if major civil aerospace programs go ahead at the same time; a 90-seat turboprop airliner is also proposed. But a KF-X derived from a current type would demand less engineering and may benefit from stronger pricing by avoiding competition with the Lockheed Martin F-35, although Saab is already in the market for advanced but moderately sized fighters with its Gripen E/F.

The T-50 and its FA-50 light fighter derivative are themselves based on the F-16 and were developed with help from Lockheed Martin, but the stealthy concept, called KF-X-E, departs from the F-16 planform used for the earlier aircraft. Some wing and fuselage edges are parallel, and the trailing edges of the main and tail planes are swept forward. The fuselage sides have chines. Nose volume of the KF-X-E appears to be small, limiting the size of the radar antenna, but the airframe seems to have more volume overall than the T-50, offering more space for internal fuel and thereby minimizing the need for external tanks and their radar reflections.

Retention of the single tail on the KF-X-E is emblematic of the limited ambition of the designers, who appear to have aimed at achieving a level of stealth above that of the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet but well below that of the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35. The latter two, like other stealth aircraft, have canted twin tail fins.

Similarly, the air inlets of the KF-X-E have boundary-layer diverters; recent stealth aircraft handle the boundary layer with aerodynamic shaping and no diverters. The KF-X-E may be too small for internal weapons stowage. No engine details are known, but South Korea may want to replace the T-50's General Electric F404, whose future application appears limited to the T-50 series, with another probably more powerful type. Candidates would include the GE F414 and Eurojet EJ200.

The winner of the separate F-X Phase 3 competition for 60 fighters—Lockheed Martin, Boeing or Eurofighter—is expected to support KF-X development. Each manufacturer has proposed a design. Lockheed Martin's could conceivably be similar to but a little larger than the KF-X-E by introducing stealth features into the design of the F-16. The result would still be a fighter well-differentiated from the F-35.

A key issue in developing the KF-X-E might be obtaining permission from Lockheed Martin, which presumably has intellectual property in the T-50 design or at least contractual rights to ensure that it does not become an F-16 competitor. Another obstacle is that the South Korean air force prefers twin-engine aircraft for the medium-fighter category that the KF-X would fill.

KAI did not respond to a request for further information about the KF-X-E.

(Aviation Week)
 
Oppa Gangnam Style! :D

Good to go, Koreans.

Indonesian government has played a masterstroke; partnering with a country which has a friendly foreign policy, is autonomous enough and at the same time has high technological capabilities and would never interfere in Indonesia's policies.
 
KAI Publishes Small KF-X Concept

KF-X-KAI.jpg

KFX-E stealthy fighter concept based on its T-50 series (image : KAI)

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has published a drawing of a moderately stealthy fighter concept based on its T-50 series of supersonic trainers and light-attack aircraft. The concept aircraft is far smaller and less ambitious than the all-new, twin-engine KF-X designs promoted by the Agency for Defense Development, the leading proponent of building an indigenous South Korea fighter.

Some South Korean industry officials doubt that the country has the technical resources to build the KF-X, especially if major civil aerospace programs go ahead at the same time; a 90-seat turboprop airliner is also proposed. But a KF-X derived from a current type would demand less engineering and may benefit from stronger pricing by avoiding competition with the Lockheed Martin F-35, although Saab is already in the market for advanced but moderately sized fighters with its Gripen E/F.

The T-50 and its FA-50 light fighter derivative are themselves based on the F-16 and were developed with help from Lockheed Martin, but the stealthy concept, called KF-X-E, departs from the F-16 planform used for the earlier aircraft. Some wing and fuselage edges are parallel, and the trailing edges of the main and tail planes are swept forward. The fuselage sides have chines. Nose volume of the KF-X-E appears to be small, limiting the size of the radar antenna, but the airframe seems to have more volume overall than the T-50, offering more space for internal fuel and thereby minimizing the need for external tanks and their radar reflections.

Retention of the single tail on the KF-X-E is emblematic of the limited ambition of the designers, who appear to have aimed at achieving a level of stealth above that of the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet but well below that of the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35. The latter two, like other stealth aircraft, have canted twin tail fins.

Similarly, the air inlets of the KF-X-E have boundary-layer diverters; recent stealth aircraft handle the boundary layer with aerodynamic shaping and no diverters. The KF-X-E may be too small for internal weapons stowage. No engine details are known, but South Korea may want to replace the T-50's General Electric F404, whose future application appears limited to the T-50 series, with another probably more powerful type. Candidates would include the GE F414 and Eurojet EJ200.

The winner of the separate F-X Phase 3 competition for 60 fighters—Lockheed Martin, Boeing or Eurofighter—is expected to support KF-X development. Each manufacturer has proposed a design. Lockheed Martin's could conceivably be similar to but a little larger than the KF-X-E by introducing stealth features into the design of the F-16. The result would still be a fighter well-differentiated from the F-35.

A key issue in developing the KF-X-E might be obtaining permission from Lockheed Martin, which presumably has intellectual property in the T-50 design or at least contractual rights to ensure that it does not become an F-16 competitor. Another obstacle is that the South Korean air force prefers twin-engine aircraft for the medium-fighter category that the KF-X would fill.

KAI did not respond to a request for further information about the KF-X-E.

(Aviation Week)

It will be good for Malaysia to join in too. So that they can replace all of their aircraft with single type.
 
It will be good for Malaysia to join in too. So that they can replace all of their aircraft with single type.

Malays and Indonesians are not very fond of each other, mate. They may not hate each other but their ties are not as cordial as seen in ASEAN. At least that's what some of my Indonesian acquaintances claim.

Besides, Malays have MiG-29s and F-18s that are still having a good level of service lives.

Malaysia might consider going for a 5th generation fighter maybe a decade from now.
 
It will be good for Malaysia to join in too. So that they can replace all of their aircraft with single type.

There is many consideration why Korean choose Indonesia and not Malaysia or Singapore.

1. Indonesia aerospace industry is not only able to make parts and components (just like Malaysian aerospace), but we also have experiences and capabilities in designing big planes and many years operating and assessing the planes that we have already designed. Experience in designing CN-235 with CASA in 80's and developing that plane through years (until current winglets version) give many advantageous level in our industry (PT DI). Beside that, experiencing to design N-250 alone (fly by wire) until it really flies in 1995 without any help form other western aerospace company is also giving our aerospace industry another design experiences. South Korea who has bought many CN-235 before by buying from PT DI (not from CASA) of course needs a partner that they can trust and who has good knowledge in designing a plane as well. There are about 35 of our experts who work with SK engineers in this early program. Second phase (detail design) that is expected to start next July of course needs more engineers for detail design work

2. South Korea and Indonesia needs each other, many of SK companies are operating in here, including joint POSCO-Indonesian Krakatau Steel company. Indonesia is also exporting gas to SK for their industries.

3. Indonesia nominal GDP in 2013 is almost 1 trillion US Dollar (Malaysia GDP is 303 Billion US Dollar(2012) ). With expected 6 percent economic growth for many years ahead (recent OECD projection on Indonesia), so Indonesia has the potency to get 2 trillion GDP in 2020 where KFX/IFX is set to start being produced by both countries. It makes the selling of KFX/ IFX to Indonesia can be quite massive or at least able and willing to buy 50 planes (KFX/IFX block 1 as it has already promised). So, in economic term, this is a good choice for SK to have Indonesia as project partner.
 
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