Next-gen fighter jet program schedule drags in S Korea

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration will start back at square one on the country’s new project to acquire next-generation fighter jets after several large misgivings were spotted during an exhibition this week. The DAPA said they would hold a second explanatory exhibition session on June 25th after it failed to procure Korean copies of the proposals from Lockheed Martin and The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company regarding crucial details like prices and technology transfers, according to Korea's broadcasting (KBS World). The schedule to analyze the F-35 will also be set anew to hold an actual flight session instead of a simulation. The Eurofighter, which was to go through an on-site inspection, will be looked over in July instead of September, while the F-35 is scheduled to be inspected in September. The government had initially planned to designate the military’s new fighter jets by late October, but with schedule changes, the deadline is expected to be pushed back by at least one month.