Asia’s Next Fighter Project

The Diplomat ^ | July 14, 2011 | Trefor Moss

[sukhoi-30mki]

Asia’s Next Fighter Project

July 14, 2011 By Trefor Moss

Indonesia and South Korea are working on a new fighter, the KFX. But is there really any need for the programme?

An international consortium for the development of an advanced fighter aircraft? It sounds familiar – and the precedent isn’t encouraging.

The programme to build the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) involving the United States and eight other countries has become a cautionary tale over the complexity and runaway expense of developing a next-generation fighter aircraft, even with the economies of scale that multinational participants are meant to deliver and the unrivalled military-industrial resources that the JSF partners bring to the table.

Undeterred by the JSF’s difficult birth, Indonesia this week made its first concrete step into another joint project, led by South Korea, for the development of a new fighter jet. Defence Ministry Secretary Gen. Rear Marshal Erris Heriyanto confirmed on Monday that the Korean KFX programme – which Jakarta committed itself to in March – was moving forward. A team of 37 Indonesian engineers is set to leave for South Korea within a matter days, he said, to begin work on the concept definition phase, which is due for completion in 2012 to 2013.

Indonesia has agreed to meet 20 percent of the estimated $8 billion programme costs and to take 50 of the roughly 250 KFXs that are currently envisaged. Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro reckons Indonesia will have its 50 planes by 2020. More partners may come on board – the Koreans are targeting Turkey in particular – and this could affect cost projections, timetables and production runs.

[sukhoi-30mki]

[hattend]

It certainly is cool looking.