The United States has agreed within a “broad framework” to transfer a set of technologies needed for South Korea’s indigenous fighter jet program, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.
A South Korean government delegation visited Washington last week for talks with U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin amid reports that the U.S. is reluctant to transfer three of the 21 technologies under discussion.
South Korea agreed with Lockheed Martin last year to receive 25 combat jet technologies, but the U.S. decided earlier this year to not transfer four — the active electronically scanned radar, infrared search-and-rescue system, electro-optical targeting pod and radio frequency jammer.
“We agreed with the U.S. side under a broad framework to receive 21 technologies,” ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said. “We plan to continue to hold additional talks over details that need technological refinement as we carry out the program.”
The government plans to launch the $15-billion program, codenamed KF-X, following last week’s talks.
The U.S. reaffirmed its maximum support for the project, the spokesman added. (Yonhap)
