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F-15SE by Boeing

By Ha Eo-young, staff reporter

The South Korean military is undertaking the most expensive procurement in its history. The government is set to spend 8.3 trillion won (about US$7.1 billion) on FX fighter jets. Despite the hefty price tag, it seems the South Korean military isn’t going to test-fly some of the planes before buying them.

During a June 13 press conference at the Ministry of National Defense, a senior official from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the F-35A jet cannot not be test-flown by South Korean pilots because it is still under development.

“The F-35A is a single-person aircraft that is still under development. It cannot be flown right now due to concerns about the safety of Korean pilots,” DAPA said. “This means simulations tests are all that can be done.”

The DAPA, on one hand, says the simulation is as good as the real thing. “The simulator is built with the same flight data, software, and cockpit equipment as an actual aircraft, so its performance and capabilities are very similar to the real thing,” the official said.

Eurofighter by European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company

The official went on to say that points would be docked during the selection process because only simulations had been done.

According to an aircraft expert, “First, they said there was no problem with relying on simulation testing, then they said they were docking points. Yet they haven’t given any standards.”

“The docking of points is basically an admission that only performing simulation testing is problematic,” the expert added.

Simulation or data-based assessments are also scheduled for the F-15SE and Eurofighter, which are now being developed to meet requirements for electronic radar, weapons, and stealth capabilities.

In response to the controversy, a DAPA official said, “While our goal is to select a model by October, that deadline could be extended if the negotiations are delayed or we fail to agree on certain things.”

At the same time, the official added that the goal was to wrap up the testing by September and have the first fighter delivered by 2016.

Regarding the possibility that the purchase price may be more than the target amount of 8.3 trillion won, the official said, “We will annul any contract that exceeds that amount.”

Kim Jong-dae, editor-in-chief of the military journal Defense 21+, said, “To argue that there is nothing wrong with simulation testing is like choosing a spouse based on a photograph. It’s an insensible approach to weapons purchasing.”

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