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| A model of the proposed KF-X C-103 Fighter Aircraft |
By Jung Sung-Ki
SEOUL, South Korea — The mega-competition to build South Korea's indigenous fighter jet, dubbed KF-X, kicked off on Feb. 9. But the first round of bidding in the country's largest-ever arms procurement deal failed due to an insufficient number of participants.
Only the team of Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin submitted a proposal for the KF-X program by the deadline, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Under the local procurement rules, all defense development and manufacturing programs must have at least two bidders.
The second round of bidding, which will close Feb. 24, is expected to be a two-way race as Korean Air vows to lodge its bid in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space.
Without a competitor, the KAI-Lockheed team would win the 8.6 trillion won (US $7.8 billion) project for developing an F-16 class twin-engine fighter aircraft over the next eight years.
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