South Korea appears ready to order F-X Phase 3

In what could be big news for Boeing, it appears that South Korea is ready to order 60 F-15SE "Silent Eagles" for the F-X Phase 3 competition.

The Defense Acquisition Program Agency has announced that they excluded the EADS bid of Typhoons, after EADS made unapproved changes to their bid. In an effort to keep costs down, they changed from 45 single seat aircraft to 54, and 16 two seaters, to six, without approval.

They also announced they excluded the F-35 due to not meeting costs specified. Lockheed Martin has disputed this saying they haven't received any official notification of the results of price bidding. The agency recently rejected all bids as being too high, and ordered everyone to rebid lower prices. Lockheed is at a disadvantage due to the sale being through the Foreign Military Sales office, which links the price paid by the other country to that paid by Washington.

Boeing is at a huge advantage, because the F-15 is already in service with the Korean Air Force, and major assemblies are already built by Korea Aerospace Industries, which will help keep manufacturing costs for the SE down lower than the other two could do.

If the sale goes through, it will extend F-15 production until 2021. Without it, production of the Eagle would end in 2019, long lead items earlier. The last of 84 F-15SAs for Saudi Arabia are scheduled for delivery then.

South Korea appears poised to order 60 Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagles for its F-X Phase 3 competition, throwing a lifeline to the venerable fighter’s production line and offering the manufacturer an opportunity to improve it for future contests.

Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Agency says it has excluded one contender — identified by local media as EADS, offering the Eurofighter Typhoon — because the bidder, with the aim of reducing its price, changed previously agreed upon conditions of its offer without consent. The contentious change was EADS’s alteration of its offer from 45 single-seaters to 54, and 15 two-seat Typhoons to six, says Yonhap news agency.

Yonhap says the third contender, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning, has also been excluded, because its bid did not meet the budget, 8.3 trillion won ($7.5 billion). Lockheed, however, is refuting this assertion, saying it “has not to date received an official notification from the Republic of Korea regarding the results of the price bidding for the F-X Program. The F-X source selection process has multiple phases and we will continue to work closely with the U.S. Government as they offer the F-35 to Korea.”

Boeing is not yet assured of a contract, however, and the air force is likely to keep pushing for the F-35, the type that it has always wanted for the competition.

The F-15SE is a proposed upgrade of the F-15 with features to control radar reflections, but to get into production it needs the South Korean order. Without F-X Phase 3, F-15 production may end in 2019 — and earlier for long-lead items—when the last of 84 new-build F-15SAs for Saudi Arabia are due to be delivered. F-X Phase 3 would prolong production until 2021, 49 years after the type’s first flight.

Source

If I may ask in your knowledge of such things... How advanced and capable is this model F-15 for South Korea? I'm thinking whatever match had still existed, such as it was, with North Korea's air farce, this eventual delivery will pretty well make it a moot point and nearly humorous to consider? These are dedicated air superiority fighters right? So once they establish the high ground, they just knock off whatever takes off and probably without even crossing north of the DMZ for a lot of it, right?

It's one way to get peace anyway. Make war so one sided and unwinnable in advance, it's just not a consideration.

reply to post by wrabbit2000


The only country in the region that could pose a threat would probably be the Chinese. Upgraded F-15's are more than a match for anyone else in the area, and South Koreas strong relationship with the U.S serves as a counter balance of power to anything the Chinese might have that could overmatch an F-15.

I just find it remarkable how the F-15 is arguably still the best fighter plane in the world after such a long service record. It's always been my favorite fighter plane. I wish my own country had some (Canada) so I could gawk at them at air shows. I've never seen one up close

reply to post by wrabbit2000


It depends on the version you're talking about. The A-D (A and C are single seat, B and D are two seat, used for training) and variants of them are dedicated air superiority fighters. The E, and variants of it are tactical bombers. While the E is technically an Eagle still, the only air to air kill ever scored by an E was when one dropped a 2,000 lb laser guided bomb onto an Iraqi Mi-17, hitting the rotor hub, and destroying it while it was in flight. Wonderful bomb truck on the other hand.

The Silent Eagle is an upgraded E model. It would use RAM, canted tails, internal weapons bays, etc to reduce the RCS from a small barn door. It would make it much more survivable on strike missions, while the air superiority versions took care of the air threat.

Originally posted by DeadSeraph
I've never seen one up close

The running joke for years was that F-15 pilots would do everything from sun, to play badminton on the back of Eagles because they're so big. The F-15 pilots retaliated that they only way F-16s could get to the combat area was to be carried under the wing of F-15s and air launched by them.

reply to post by Zaphod58
Yonhap news has the lead F15e takes bid but at the same time EADS is not going down with out a fight english.yonhapnews.co.kr... from the link

(Yonhap Interview) EADS denies procedural breach to Korean fighter jet project

2013/08/19 16:45

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By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- European aerospace giant EADS on Monday questioned the South Korean procurement agency's decision to drop Eurofighter out of the finalists for its fighter jet project over procedural flaws, saying its proposal is best optimized for Seoul's budget and efficient flight operations.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on Sunday announced Eurofighter was dropped from the 8.3 billion won (US$7.2 million) deal for 60 fighter jets as EADS's proposal did not meet the program's key demands.

The decision left Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle as the sole candidate as the third company Lockheed Martin's F-35 had been eliminated from the competition due to its steep price that exceeded Seoul's budget.

South Korea is seeking 45 one-seater aircraft and 15 two-seaters. But EADS proposed only six two-seater aircraft, which are costly to produce, due to budget problems.

"I would like to stress that Eurofighter's intention has been to provide DAPA, to consider within its discretion, fully within the boundaries of the Request for Proposal (RFP), a bid package that would meet the declared essential budget," Christian Scherer, the chief sales officer and head of International Operations at EADS, said in a written interview with Yonhap News Agency.

The company official's statement comes as DAPA is preparing a comprehensive evaluation and will select a final bidder in a meeting of top military officials in mid-September.

Scherer claimed there was no operational rationale to opt for the number of twin-seaters because Eurofighter is designed for single pilot operations and the function of its simulators have been well proved by operating air forces.

"We have continuously pointed this out, but obviously we have also always considered offering the twin-seaters number requested by DAPA," the member of the Cassidian Executive Committee said. "We do not see any promises made but only different scenarios with preferences which have been discussed respectfully by the parties all along the negotiation process."

Offering alternative solutions is a "simple, legitimate and constructive response" to requirements expressed, and EADS has always been very transparent about this, he added.

His remark refuted DAPA's statement that an arbitrary change to the conditions mutually agreed between the agency and the three bidders in the past disqualifies EADS from the procurement program.

Scherer said DAPA first notified the bidders that the price factor accounts for 30 percent of the total score, but it later changed its stance and made meeting the budget limit the most important requirement for the deal.

"Not meeting the allocated budget was never mentioned as the only disqualifying and decisive factor, which has been announced at the latest stage of the negotiations," he said.

He stressed Seoul should take advantage of its offset deal, including the transfer of technology and industrial participation for South Korea's indigenous fighter jet project for synergies between the aircraft procurement and the development program.

EADS proposed a $2 billion cash investment package to help Seoul kick-start its own fighter aircraft development and assemble 53 planes in local factories to boost its aerospace industry.

Although South Korea has bought weapons from the U.S., its close ally, especially for its Air Force, EADS has been making efforts to expand partnership with South Korea, the official said.

"We are open for any constructive discussion with DAPA. We have shown different paths, and we are ready to discuss the applicability of any or parts thereof to help DAPA come to the most cost-effective choice for the F-X Program."

[email protected]

(END)

for the F15E here is the link to that english.yonhapnews.co.kr... old news but worth the read.

The RoKAF is attempting to get the whole process overturned. According to sources within the Air Force, the goal of the program was only to get F-35s, and the other companies were invited to bid to create competition.

Article

And just to prove that the US isn't the only country that can totally screw an acquisition up, South Korea has decided to retender the bid. They have cited concerns over the stealthiness of the F-15SE. But, and this is where they prove we don't have the market cornered on screw ups, they dropped the stealthiness requirement somewhat to make it a more fair competition. So now, if they retender it, and increase the stealthiness, then they have just thrown out the fairness of the competition.

Interesting twist. Seoul has announced they will buy 40 F-35As, with an option for 20 more. They are also going to acquire an additional 20 aircraft of an unspecified type, opening the door for the F-15SE, and the Typhoon in Korea.