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September 15, 2023
The United Arab Emirates and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing Abu Dhabi to join the KF-21 Boramae program, the South Korean mid-generation fighter currently in the testing phase, replacing Jakarta in settling Indonesian debt within the program.
This will give food for thought, particularly in the United States and France. Indeed, according to the South Korean press, the two countries have signed around forty Memorandum of Understanding representing $30 billion in investments in different areas ranging from nuclear energy to hydrogen, but also defense.
The most spectacular announcement undoubtedly concerns the participation of the Emirates in the South Korean KF-21 Boramae intermediate generation fighter program. More specifically, Abu Dhabi will pay the contribution owed by Jakarta, which is currently hampering the program, as well as relations between the two countries, to join the program.
Naturally, this would make the KF-21 the preferred candidate to eventually replace the Emirati F-16, to evolve alongside the 80 Rafale previously ordered. The stakes are however considerable for Seoul, since this market represents a potential order of 60 to 80 aircraft, if we base ourselves on strict parity with the Rafale, as was previously the case between the Mirage 2000-9 and the F -16 E BLock 60.
Such an order would, in fact, give increased legitimacy to the new South Korean apparatus, which has also aroused Warsaw's interest in the creation of its last two fighter squadrons.
16,9 m long with a wingspan of 11,2 m, the Boramae is a medium fighter in the F/A 18 Super Hornet, Rafale and Typhoon category, with an empty mass of 11,8 tonnes, and a maximum takeoff weight of 25,6 tonnes.
It is powered by two American GE F414 turbojet engines like the Super Hornet, each delivering 5,7 tonnes of dry thrust, and 9,8 tonnes of thrust with afterburner. The device therefore has an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio, close to one in combat mass.
In addition, it was designed for a reduced radar and infrared signature, without being described as stealthy. In its current version, it does not have interior ammunition bays, which tends to degrade its radar signature, like other aircraft in its category.
With 6 tonnes of internal fuel capacity, and two additional 2000 liter drop tanks, the KF-51 has a comfortable combat range of 1 km. It also has modern avionics, including the European Meteor, Iris-t and Taurus, but also the AIM-000 AMRAAM, the Sidewinder 120X and the American Harpoon, as well as a wide range of munitions. air-ground like the famous JDAM.
Due to its performance and ambitions, the KF-21 is in no way a second category aircraft, quite the contrary. Moreover, its selling price, estimated between $80 and $100 million, places it in the average range for devices in its category.
In addition, the program unfolds with Korean precision, with six prototypes already delivered, four single-seaters and two two-seaters, barely a year after the flight of the first aircraft. This naturally strengthens the confidence of potential partners, particularly in its ambitious timetable, with the start of industrial production in 2024, and entry into service in 2026.
On the other hand, like the K2 Black Panther or the K9 Thunder, two great export successes of the South Korean industry, the device will be the most recent fighter of this type on the market, where precisely, the conception age of its three designated competitors is often talked about negatively.
Above all, the agreement apparently reached with the Emirates and Indonesia shows that Seoul is demonstrating the same flexibility and responsiveness here as that which allowed it to impose itself in Poland, for example, in what has become the largest land equipment contract signed in the last 20 years.
In fact, the MoU that the Emiratis and South Koreans have just signed sounds like a final warning for American and European defense manufacturers, and in particular for France, who have for too long refused to consider these emerging countries as real partners. , and not as simple customers.
By doing so, they have allowed Seoul, as well as Ankara and Jerusalem, to capture considerable and growing market shares, which will be lacking to maintain the activity of European BITDs in the years to come. Sometimes, through their intransigence, but also their laxity, the latter have themselves provided the fertile ground on which these competing industries have been able to develop in recent years.
One thing is certain, however. Today, the industrial and commercial strategy implemented by South Korea is reminiscent of that which was applied by France at the end of the 60s and during the XNUMXs. This allowed the country to considerably develop its defense industry and its export market shares.
It would surely be time for Paris to look beyond the Rhine alone, and to turn fully towards these partners who are just waiting to get on board major industrial defense projects with Dassault, Naval Group, Nexter, Thales or MBDA. We have been warned... one final and last time!
https://meta-defense.fr/en/2023/09/15/kf-21-boramae-emirats-arabes-unis/
* Due to costs and technology limitations, South Korea did not pursue an internal weapons bay for the first two blocks of the KF-21. Korea Aerospace Industries recently announced it is planning to propose a Block 3 variant to the South Korea air force with an internal weapons bay and enhanced low-observable technology features..
The United Arab Emirates and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing Abu Dhabi to join the KF-21 Boramae program, the South Korean mid-generation fighter currently in the testing phase, replacing Jakarta in settling Indonesian debt within the program.
This will give food for thought, particularly in the United States and France. Indeed, according to the South Korean press, the two countries have signed around forty Memorandum of Understanding representing $30 billion in investments in different areas ranging from nuclear energy to hydrogen, but also defense.
The most spectacular announcement undoubtedly concerns the participation of the Emirates in the South Korean KF-21 Boramae intermediate generation fighter program. More specifically, Abu Dhabi will pay the contribution owed by Jakarta, which is currently hampering the program, as well as relations between the two countries, to join the program.
The KF-21 Boramae to replace the United Arab Emirates' F-16s?
Naturally, this would make the KF-21 the preferred candidate to eventually replace the Emirati F-16, to evolve alongside the 80 Rafale previously ordered. The stakes are however considerable for Seoul, since this market represents a potential order of 60 to 80 aircraft, if we base ourselves on strict parity with the Rafale, as was previously the case between the Mirage 2000-9 and the F -16 E BLock 60.
Such an order would, in fact, give increased legitimacy to the new South Korean apparatus, which has also aroused Warsaw's interest in the creation of its last two fighter squadrons.
A promising device with high performance
16,9 m long with a wingspan of 11,2 m, the Boramae is a medium fighter in the F/A 18 Super Hornet, Rafale and Typhoon category, with an empty mass of 11,8 tonnes, and a maximum takeoff weight of 25,6 tonnes.
It is powered by two American GE F414 turbojet engines like the Super Hornet, each delivering 5,7 tonnes of dry thrust, and 9,8 tonnes of thrust with afterburner. The device therefore has an excellent thrust-to-weight ratio, close to one in combat mass.
In addition, it was designed for a reduced radar and infrared signature, without being described as stealthy. In its current version, it does not have interior ammunition bays, which tends to degrade its radar signature, like other aircraft in its category.
With 6 tonnes of internal fuel capacity, and two additional 2000 liter drop tanks, the KF-51 has a comfortable combat range of 1 km. It also has modern avionics, including the European Meteor, Iris-t and Taurus, but also the AIM-000 AMRAAM, the Sidewinder 120X and the American Harpoon, as well as a wide range of munitions. air-ground like the famous JDAM.
South Korea's effective trade strategy
Due to its performance and ambitions, the KF-21 is in no way a second category aircraft, quite the contrary. Moreover, its selling price, estimated between $80 and $100 million, places it in the average range for devices in its category.
In addition, the program unfolds with Korean precision, with six prototypes already delivered, four single-seaters and two two-seaters, barely a year after the flight of the first aircraft. This naturally strengthens the confidence of potential partners, particularly in its ambitious timetable, with the start of industrial production in 2024, and entry into service in 2026.
On the other hand, like the K2 Black Panther or the K9 Thunder, two great export successes of the South Korean industry, the device will be the most recent fighter of this type on the market, where precisely, the conception age of its three designated competitors is often talked about negatively.
Above all, the agreement apparently reached with the Emirates and Indonesia shows that Seoul is demonstrating the same flexibility and responsiveness here as that which allowed it to impose itself in Poland, for example, in what has become the largest land equipment contract signed in the last 20 years.
A direct threat to the French aeronautical industry
In fact, the MoU that the Emiratis and South Koreans have just signed sounds like a final warning for American and European defense manufacturers, and in particular for France, who have for too long refused to consider these emerging countries as real partners. , and not as simple customers.
By doing so, they have allowed Seoul, as well as Ankara and Jerusalem, to capture considerable and growing market shares, which will be lacking to maintain the activity of European BITDs in the years to come. Sometimes, through their intransigence, but also their laxity, the latter have themselves provided the fertile ground on which these competing industries have been able to develop in recent years.
One thing is certain, however. Today, the industrial and commercial strategy implemented by South Korea is reminiscent of that which was applied by France at the end of the 60s and during the XNUMXs. This allowed the country to considerably develop its defense industry and its export market shares.
It would surely be time for Paris to look beyond the Rhine alone, and to turn fully towards these partners who are just waiting to get on board major industrial defense projects with Dassault, Naval Group, Nexter, Thales or MBDA. We have been warned... one final and last time!
https://meta-defense.fr/en/2023/09/15/kf-21-boramae-emirats-arabes-unis/
* Due to costs and technology limitations, South Korea did not pursue an internal weapons bay for the first two blocks of the KF-21. Korea Aerospace Industries recently announced it is planning to propose a Block 3 variant to the South Korea air force with an internal weapons bay and enhanced low-observable technology features..
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