FX, Confirmed as F15K

FX project that has the task of procuring 40 high-performance fighters till 2009 by investing 4,466,880 thousand U.S dollars (around 5 trillion 800 billion won), confirmed F15K belonging to the U.S Boeing company.

Hwang Ui-don, spokesperson of Defense ministry stated after ending up meeting on 19th, saying, “MOD decided like this as a result of evaluating comprehensively such as national security, foreign relationship, and influence to exert pioneering foreign market”.

F110-GE-129 of the U.S GE company is selected as engine for F15K, winning from F100-PW-229 of P and W company.

MOD has executed second evaluation to consider policy factors like capacity for Korea-U.S joint operation, to F15K of the U.S Boeing Company and Rapal of French Daso Company which passed the first evaluation in March last.

Kwong Young-Ho, vice minister of MOD said, “F15K is evaluated as excellent and Rapal received `good` grade according to the second evaluation” and “there was no objection in selecting F15K”.

MOD will have additional discussion with Boeing company in order to raise the rate of electric trade (transfer of technology), which is compared to suggested price of Boeing from current 64% to 70% and to reduce the price of provisional contract.

After that it will conclude the contract through approval of President Kim Dae Jung within next month.

Rapal is reported to have surpassed F15K in first evaluation, which MOD carried out, from 9th of February to 27th of March for four fighters such as F15K, Rapal, Euro fighter (consortium of four European nations) and SU35 (Russia Rosro Expert), by 1.1 percent difference from F15K with regard to△ capacity of performing task (34.55 percent) △ compatibility in military operation (18.13 percent) △transferring technology and condition of contract (11.99 percent), etc.

Dong-Ki Sung esprit@donga.com