South Korea Unveils KF-X Mock-Up at Seoul Show

(Source: Arirang News; posted Oct. 15, 2019)

Korean Aerospace Industries officially unveiled a full-scale mockup of the KF-X future Korean fighter at the ADEX show in Seoul today. Developed with Indonesia as a minority partner, it resembles a twin-engined F-35 / F-22 hybrid. (Twitter photo)

A grand opening ceremony was held Tuesday for the 2019 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition or ADEX, where participants can experience the latest technology in aerospace and other weapons systems.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon in his opening speech on Tuesday praised the rapid development of the defense industry and stressed the need to raise defense capabilities to cope with changing trends and new forms of threat.

"The industry started off humble, relying on UN forces and supplies during the Korean War in the early 1950s. Back then the air force had a liaison aircraft and 22 training planes while the navy had 29 patrol ships. But by declaring its goal of having a self-reliant defense posture, the industry has grown rapidly since the 1970s."

A range of programs are taking place during the six-day event.

Spectators can get a close view of the fifth-generation stealth fighter jets the F-35As as well as a light-armed helicopter which shows off its mobility at the event for the first time.

But the highlight of the opening day was a mock-up of the envisioned indigenous cutting-edge fighter aircraft being developed under Korea's $7.5 billion U.S. dollar KF-X project.

Many have said that its appearance is similar to the F-35A fighter jet.

The homegrown jet boasts a maximum speed of around 22-hundred kilometers per hour. It's equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array or AESA radar system which improves coverage and performance.

The aircraft can carry up to 77-hundred kilograms of weapons including the country's Taurus long-range air-to-surface cruise missile.

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