South Korean Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter IDonT
- Start date
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Nothing. It’s meant to partner. The SK would be the lower end machine.
It's very revealing that Indonesia is nowhere mentioned during KFX prototype launch, which suggests that despite initial promise of 20% investment into KFX prototype, Indonesia is jumping boat, presumably due to US denial to transfer key technologies to KFX program.
Smells like Indian-style abandonment of T-50 PAKFA FGFA program due to quality and technological access issues.
If Korea goes pure domestic without Indonesia, then it really speaks to the viability of the program. Not very optimistic.
Smells like Indian-style abandonment of T-50 PAKFA FGFA program due to quality and technological access issues.
If Korea goes pure domestic without Indonesia, then it really speaks to the viability of the program. Not very optimistic.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
I wouldn’t say that. Indonesia was the extreme jr. partner also this is a far less complex aircraft than F35 or F22. Closer to a true 4 th 5 th gen hybrid. This simplify things.
Yep, one can say this is the first proper 4.5. Interesting to watch how it'll go.
I wouldn't be so sure. This is a much younger program.
At least on the electronic front, things which were unique in 2006 won't be that unique by 2026.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Electronically but also design wise. Consider unlike the other Fifth gens this is based on pods and external weapons mounting with no real internal bays.
It goes to show that having an internal bay involves a non trivial amount of work. I think it probably has to do with structural and aerodynamically reasons.
The more I see where things go, the less I can see this approach as somehow "lesser" anymore. It's simply a different direction.
Supersonic separation/separation in non-level flight is a complex and nasty thing.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
I would by lesser referent to the emphasis on VLO and technical integration. Where J20, F22, F35 even T50 use internally stowed weapons and organic electroptical pods and system into the aircraft streamlining the fighter in all most all mission sets allowing better RCS profile. By not doing so the ROK design may not have as much of an issue so long as it’s used against older Far less sophisticated DPRK Air Force assets. Basically it’s a overmatch vs a third world obsolete air denial system. A step above say the F/A18 Block III or F16C Block 70 yet below the F35 or F22. With F35 being used alongside it.
By using external mounted pods and weapons as the only way the aircraft will always have a larger radar profile.
On the other hand, it gets to be readily adaptable, by definition obtains more external stores, and carries oversized payloads w/o any issues.
Since it is designed to be seen, such aircraft is likely to be more survivable when it's the case(it's the hypothesis behind its EW suite, after all).
Finally, while not a true stealth, some of its aspects(and empty or near-empty configuration) may be decently stealthy, maybe even within realm of true stealth aircraft. Egressing from the battlefield, or, say, ambushes from low altitude using outrageously long burn of meteors come to mind.
Considering future developments(laser weapons, hypersonics, oversized AAms and loyal wingmen) - KFX+F-35 sounds as a rather equal partnership. More so than upgraded/updated 4th gens, which may have much more raw power than KFX, but their design heritage ultimately dates back to 1960-1980s.
This, on the other hand, is quite fresh, post-iPhone
era program.F-35 was already fixed when Koreans were finishing their assessments.