KFX/IFX News and Development

[messiach]

Sure it was. I did ask a few colleagues about you. Nobody was sure.

I came in for the 2nd and 3rd day, though in hindsight that was a big (and rookie) mistake.

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Sure it was. I did ask a few colleagues about you. Nobody was sure.

Yeah the 2nd day was wildly disorienting, way too many people there and the exhibitors seemed just tired at that point.

Still, had a good 30 min backroom talk with PAC on Project Azm and other stuff. It was made clear that it was an original design project, though they were cagey about potential specifications.

The hilarious part was Leonardo being on a gag order by the PAF, but then literally showing everything you could guess would matter to the PAF, e.g. Kronos air surveillance radar, M346 trainer, etc and nothing to mask their focus or throw people off.

 

[Indos]

Indonesia looks to widen KFX/IFX involvement despite economic pressure
Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - Jane's Defence Weekly
11 December 2018


Indonesia is looking to involve wider elements of its national defence industry in its joint programme with South Korea to develop and build the next-generation KFX/IFX fighter aircraft, industry officials in Jakarta have said.

The plan is being developed despite the Indonesian government’s stated intention to renegotiate its involvement in the KFX/IFX programme primarily because of growing economic constraints in the country.

In a recent press conference hosted by state-owned PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), which is collaborating on the KFX/IFX with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), officials said the company is committed to continuing its engagement in the development programme, which, they added, is now “20% complete”.

https://www.janes.com/article/85121...kfx-ifx-involvement-despite-economic-pressure

 

[GeraltofRivia]

I don’t have doubts about SK/Indonesia’s ambition in developing their own fighter plane. However I do wonder how much they are willing and capable of spending on this program. Given F35 programs cost of USD 406b, it is probably going to be in the order of hundreds billions for another comparable program.

Why would anyone think they can spend less than US? Where can the saving come from? If any components are sourced from the existing vendors, they would need to recover at least some of thedevelopment cost it spent, won’t it?

 

[Indos]

Indonesia resumes payment for fighter development project
All Headlines 17:48 January 02, 2019


SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- Indonesia resumed its payment for South Korea's fighter development project last month after a yearlong delay, Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Wednesday.

Late last month, Indonesia's defense ministry paid 132 billion won under a 2016 contract to shoulder 20 percent of the development cost for the KF-X project worth 7.9 trillion won (US$7.05 billion) as part of the country's efforts to procure combat aircraft for its own Air Force.

The Southeast Asian country had not made any payments since early 2017, triggering concerns that it could withdraw from the project.

"Through the latest payment, we can dispel worries about Indonesia's potential exit from the project, and we expect the country to actively participate," KAI said in a press release.

South Korea seeks to locally build the new fighter jet to replace its aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters.

sshluck@yna.co.kr

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190102010300315

 

[Indos]

Indonesia resumes KFX payments
Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - Jane's Defence Industry
14 January 2019

Indonesia has restarted payments to support its continuing involvement in the project with South Korea to develop the next-generation KFX fighter aircraft. Source: IHS Markit/Patrick Allen

Jakarta has restarted payments to support the development of the next-generation Korean Fighter Xperiment (KFX) aircraft, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) confirmed to Jane's on 14 January.

KAI said it received KRW132 billion (USD118 million) from the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD) in late 2018 and that the payment will "dispel concerns" about Indonesia's potential withdrawal from the KFX development programme.

KAI added that up to 150 engineers and technicians from Indonesia are expected to travel to South Korea this year to participate in the fighter development programme. KAI added that 28 Indonesian engineers were originally involved but this number had increased to 72.

A KAI statement, citing an unidentified KAI official, said, "Through mutual trust we have not only restored trust but also confirmed our intention to jointly participate in the KFX programme. We will do our best to lead the KFX programme successfully through co-operation with Indonesia."

KAI said the payment from Indonesia was received following successful diplomatic engagement between the two countries in recent months. This engagement, it added, has strengthened the KFX joint development project and wider defence industrial collaboration efforts between South Korea and Indonesia.

Due mainly to fiscal constraints, Indonesia had previously halted payments to support the fighter aircraft development project. However, defence officials from the two countries are currently negotiating a new payment structure for the Indonesian MoD through which it will continue involvement in the programme.

KAI also confirmed that Indonesia is committed to investing "about KRW1.7 trillion" in the KFX programme, which equates to 20% of total development costs. This payment structure was agreed in 2015, although Jane's understands that Indonesia is behind by about 40% of its agreed financial commitment.

Under the original agreement, the South Korean government will pay for 60% of the development programme, with prime contractor KAI covering 20%.

https://www.janes.com/article/85680/indonesia-resumes-kfx-payments

 

[Indos]

South Korea begins building prototype of next-generation fighter aircraft
Feb 15, 2019

in Aviation, News



Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, is starting production on the first prototype of a next-generation fighter jet.

On 14 February, South Korea’s biggest aerospace company held a ceremony in order to celebrate the start producing of the first bulkhead, which is the main part of the forward fuselage of the next-generation Korean Fighter Xperiment (KFX) aircraft.

“A bulkhead is a structure that is designed to prevent an aircraft from being deformed due to pressure generated by high-speed flights”, the aerospace company announced Thursday.

A KAI representative said that the first prototype of the KF-X advanced multirole fighter aircraft, so-called 4.5-generation fighter, will be finished in April 2021.

Currently, KAI has completed 15 percent of the total design drawing for KF-X and will complete more than 80 percent after September when a detailed design review is completed. KF-X passed a system requirement review and a system function review in 2016. System development for the aircraft started in December 2015.

The KF-X program aims for production around 120 advanced fighter jets to replace the Air Force’s aging F-4 and F-5 combat aircraft.

The KF-X project is expected to play an important role in revving up the Korean aviation industry in terms of technology accumulation and job creation.

The KF-X project currently involves a total of 112 institutions — 16 domestic universities, 11 research institutes and 85 companies. When the development of the prototype gets in full swing, an additional 35 institutions will join the project.

https://defence-blog.com/news/south...type-of-next-generation-fighter-aircraft.html

 

[Indos]

KAI reaches early production milestone on KFX
Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - Jane's Defence Industry
18 February 2019


Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has started production work on the first Korean Fighter eXperimental (KFX) aircraft prototype, the company said. Manufacturing work of the aircraft’s bulk head commenced on 14 February, with the prototype scheduled to be rolled out of KAI’s facilities in Sacheon, South Korea, in 2021.

KAI said the milestone was achieved through assistance provided by more than 100 local agencies including 84 companies, 16 tertiary institutions, and 11 research institutes. Another 35 companies will be involved when production increases in tempo. KAI added that it has hired 700 employees to work on the KFX and that in 2019 it is seeking to recruit an additional 400 people to work on the project.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) started production work on the bulk head of the first KFX prototype on 14 February. (Korea Aerospace Industries)

The preliminary design of the KFX was finalised in June 2018, at which point the outer mould line (OML) of the aircraft was fixed. The critical design phase is scheduled to be complete in mid-2019. KAI added, “The development is running smoothly as scheduled.”

The KFX development programme envisages the production of six prototypes by 2021, followed by four years of trials and the completion of development by mid-2026. Serial production of the aircraft will take place during 2026–32, with an initial 120 units intended to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (RoKAF’s) ageing fleets of F-4E Phantom and F-5E Tiger II aircraft.

https://www.janes.com/article/86534/kai-reaches-early-production-milestone-on-kfx

 

[Indos]

South Korean officials arrive in Jakarta to renegotiate KFX/IFX fighter aircraft programme
Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - Jane's Defence Weekly
28 January 2019
Follow

RSS

Indonesia has begun renegotiating its involvement in the KFX/IFX fighter programme. Source: Korea Aerospace Industries
Key Points

• Indonesia and South Korea have begun renegotiating the former's involvement in the KFX/IFX fighter aircraft programme
• Jakarta aims to acquire an initial batch of 16 airframes, while lessening the programme's financial burden on Indonesia's state budget

A delegation comprising officials from the South Korean government has arrived in Jakarta to renegotiate Indonesia's participation in a programme to jointly develop and build the Korean Fighter Xperiment/Indonesia Fighter Xperiment (KFX/IFX) aircraft.

According to information and documents supplied to Jane's on 23 January by a source from the Indonesian House of Representatives' commission on defence, intelligence, and foreign affairs (Komisi I), a meeting to discuss the programme was held over two days from 24 January.

Attending the meeting on behalf of Jakarta were a team of representatives from state-owned aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI); the Indonesian Ministry of Defence; and the Co-ordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (POLHUKAM).

The document that was provided to Jane's , which gives details of the points of discussion that were raised at the meeting, also indicates that Indonesia was expected to propose an extension to its payment obligations under the programme to 2031.

To further lessen the burden on its national defence budget, Indonesia was also expected to propose making payments for the programme via counter-trade deals instead of cash; similar to the strategy it is pursuing in the acquisition of Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia.

Additionally, Jakarta pushed for greater intellectual property rights over technologies developed in the programme with a view to commercialise them in the future.

Under the original KFX/IFX finance agreement signed between the two countries in 2015, Indonesia is obliged to pay for 20% of the programme's total development costs, which is estimated to be about USD8 billion.

https://www.janes.com/article/85988...enegotiate-kfx-ifx-fighter-aircraft-programme

 

[CrazyZ]

Fast following...looks just like the F22.

 

[Indos]

KAI sets out 1st cutting of KF-X fighter parts

2019-02-14 Hits : 64

http://www.koreaaero.com/english/

 

[Wow]

Very handsome looking fighter ...........seems like a clusterf@$k development process

gonna be quite a sight if they can pull this off

 

[GraveDigger388]

Very handsome looking fighter ...........seems like a clusterf@$k development process

gonna be quite a sight if they can pull this off

Username checks out lol.

And yeah, I agree.

 

[Indos]

Very handsome looking fighter ...........seems like a clusterf@$k development process

gonna be quite a sight if they can pull this off

Not really that fast because Korea (ADD) and Indonesia (PT DI) started design development since 2011. It has been 8 years since that year. I still remember reading news paper in 2010 where Korean asking Indonesian to join the program. AESA radar is still being developed and I hope it will be ready before 2024. InshaAllah we will see the first prototype ready in 2020 or 2021.

 

[Indos]

Here are news talking about Indonesian engineers and KFX/IFX part made in Indonesia in CNN Indonesia :

News:

Dalam pembuatan prototipe pesawat tempur multiperan itu, menurut Kepala Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Kementerian Pertahanan Anne Kusmayati, PTDI akan membuat sayap, penguat di bagian bawah sayap, dan ekor.

Pengerjaan jet tempur KF-X/IF-X akan dipusatkan di Sacheon, Provinsi Gyeongsang Selatan, Korea Selatan –kota yang menjadi lokasi markas dan pabrik utama Korea Aerospace Industries.

Sebanyak 200 insinyur Indonesia secara bertahap berangkat ke Sacheon selama satu-dua tahun ini. Mula-mula mereka akan merancang desain pesawat. Para insinyur itu juga akan ikut mendesain seluruh komponen pesawat.

Dari total pekerja kedua negara yang terlibat pembuatan KF-X/IF-X, 30 persen lebih berasal dari Indonesia dan mayoritas sisanya dari Korea Selatan. Ini pula alasan pembuatan pesawat dipusatkan di Sacheon, bukan di Indonesia.

Proporsi 30 persen lebih insinyur Indonesia yang terlibat pengerjaan KF-X/IF-X itu sesungguhnya bertambah dari jumlah semula sebanyak 20 persen. Penambahan pekerja Indonesia itu terjadi seiring berjalannya waktu penggarapan.

“Itu menandakan insinyur Indonesia diperhitungkan Korea. Bahkan ada paket pekerjaan yang satu teknologinya hanya dimiliki orang Indonesia. Dia doktor dari ITB (Institut Teknologi Bandung), satu-satunya yang memiliki kemampuan inlight design. Jadi Korea tak memandang enteng Indonesia,” kata Anne.

Google Translate

In making the prototype of the multi-fighter aircraft, according to Head of the Ministry of Defense's Research and Development Agency Anne Kusmayati, PTDI will make wings, boosters at the bottom of the wing and tail.

Work on KF-X / IF-X fighter jets will be centered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, the city which is the headquarters and main factory of Korea Aerospace Industries.

A total of 200 Indonesian engineers have gradually departed for Sacheon for one or two years. At first they will design the aircraft design. The engineers will also participate in designing all aircraft components.

Of the total workers of the two countries involved in the making of KF-X / IF-X, 30 percent are more from Indonesia and the majority of the rest are from South Korea. This is also the reason for making aircraft centered on Sacheon, not in Indonesia.

The proportion of more than 30 percent of Indonesian engineers involved in working on the KF-X / IF-X actually increased from the original amount of 20 percent. The addition of Indonesian workers occurred as time went by cultivation.

"It signifies that Indonesian engineers count on Korea. There is even a work package whose technology is only owned by Indonesians. He is a doctor from ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology), the only one who has inlight design capabilities. So Korea does not take Indonesia lightly, "Anne said.


https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasion...ur-ri-buatan-sendiri-mengangkasa-9-tahun-lagi