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| F-35 Lightning II (File Photo) |
By AARON MEHTA
WASHINGTON — The US has laid out a pair of potential sales to the Republic of Korea, a move that could indicate a decision is near on that country’s fighter replacement program.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which handles foreign military sales for the Defense Department, notified Congress on May 21 of potential weapon sales for two fighter jets — one for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and one for the F-15 Silent Eagle model. Those two platforms and Eurofighter’s Typhoon are finalists for South Korea’s F-XIII competition to replace aging F-4 jets.
In early April, the DSCA alerted Congress to potential sales of the jets themselves. As with those notifications, this week’s announcements are not a sign that a decision has been made to purchase an American airplane. Instead, the government is laying the groundwork so that when South Korea picks the winner the Pentagon can act quickly.
Still, the fact the US is laying out potential armament sales shows the competition is moving forward. Sources have indicated that an announcement on the fighter replacement will come before the end of the year, potentially as soon as mid-June.
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