On Wednesday, September 13th, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, an agency under the Department of Defense dealing with the sales and transfer of military equipment, technology, software, etc., announced that it had given initial approval to the conceivable deal.

The deal, which now goes to Congress for approval and negotiations, would include up to 25 F-35A fighters, 26 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, training, ammunition, and other logistical components of the jet. The proposed deal would increase South Korea’s fleet of F-35s to a total of 65 jets, in addition to the 40 jets that are still being delivered since its selection for the F-X III fighter program in 2014.

This comes in light of increased regional tensions, with North Korea firing multiple ballistic missiles as recently as September 13th. The State Department announced that “The proposed sale will improve the Republic of Korea’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with US forces.”

South Korea was originally invested in the acquisition of both the A and B variants of the F-35 fighter jets in an effort to modernize the entire armed forces. The B variant is primarily differentiated for its ability to land vertically on shorter landing strips.

The acquisition of the B variant would be for the Republic of Korea Navy, which had planned on the development of a 30,000-ton light aircraft carrier, suited for the F-35B and planned for 2030.

However, with the precedent being set on the F-35A variant, the plan for the addition of the light carrier has been in question. Some reports suggest the South Korean Ministry of Defense is looking to change the 30,000-ton light carrier to a 50,000-ton medium carrier, removing the need for the space-efficient B variant. Rather, a variant of the domestic KF-21 Boramae 4.5 generation combat aircraft might be preferred by the MoD.

Regardless of the future of the navy, the sales of the F-35A fighters show the willingness of the Korean government to continually modernize their forces for the challenge ahead. ChanHyongChung

Bethesda Chevy Chase

11th Grade

<ChanHyongChung Bethesda Chevy Chase 11th Grade>