South Korea, with its 'cheaper' version of the F-35, watches as Canada reviews U.S. fighter deal

Murray Brewster · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The reception hallway astatine Korean Aerospace Industries Ltd. is, successful galore respects, each level and chopper lover's dream.

Filled with exemplary aircraft, there's 1 successful peculiar that stands out. At archetypal glance, you'd beryllium forgiven for confusing it for the present politically infamous — astatine slightest successful Canadian presumption — F-35 fighter.

The KF-21 Boramae (Hawk) has the aforesaid angled duplicate tails and akin sleek lines. When pointed out, a elder KAI manager sheepishly acknowledged the "stealthy design" resemblance.

If each of the heated run rhetoric and commercialized warfare posturing is to beryllium believed, Canada whitethorn beryllium successful the marketplace for thing different than the U.S.-manufactured F-35.

We'll see.

The Liberals person openly threatened to judge the archetypal 16 craft connected bid and past look elsewhere to capable retired the formation lines of the Royal Canadian Air Force, which for decades has coveted the Lockheed Martin-built jets.

One of the reasons the aerial unit has been successful favour of the F-35 is due to the fact that of its precocious capabilities, particularly its sensors and connectivity. One of the reasons the politicians person balked is the tremendous $19-billion terms tag and the immense outgo of ownership wherever the bulk of the in-service enactment would person to beryllium done successful the United States.

South Korea, similar Canada, wants precocious capability. But the state acceptable retired much than 15 years agone to plan and physique its ain next-generation fighter, which coincidentally — oregon possibly not — ended up looking similar the F-35.

There are important differences, namely the KF-21 has 2 engines, not one.

And the Koreans person had occupation integrating 1 of the cardinal stealth characteristics of carrying weapons — bombs and missiles — connected the wrong of the aircraft, arsenic opposed to underneath oregon connected the wings.

Jason Ahn, KAI's elder manager for North America, said the plan kinks person been worked retired and the institution present has six prototype planes. Most significantly, it has begun afloat accumulation of the jets for the Korean Air Force and its inferior improvement spouse federation Indonesia.

Since the Liberal authorities has signalled Canada whitethorn beryllium acceptable to pivot distant from the F-35, there's been sizeable statement successful the online aviation assemblage astir whether the KF-21 is simply a credible alternative. Opinions are mixed and the assemblage is inactive retired arsenic acold arsenic defence specialists are concerned.

The KF-21 was developed arsenic portion of a $6.6 cardinal US task to regenerate South Korea's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters, and it has been touted arsenic a "cheaper" alternative.

"KF-21 volition beryllium substantially cheaper than the fourth-generation, front-line fighters," Ahn said successful a caller interrogation astatine the company's manufacturing works successful Sacheon, South Korea. "This craft has amended maintainability designed successful from the get-go, compared to different fifth-generation fighters [such arsenic the F-35] … we judge we person much — oregon amended — flexibility successful presumption of maintaining the aircraft."

CBC News was fixed entree to the aerospace works successful the confederate portion of the state and saw KF-21s successful accumulation and the prototypes. But South Korean information officials refused support to independently sprout photographs oregon video of the precocious warplanes, insisting lone institution images could beryllium used.

Ahn said a fig of countries had approached South Korea astir buying the aircraft, but helium wouldn't disclose who they mightiness be.

KAI did not instrumentality portion successful Canada's combatant pitchy competition, which ended up with the enactment of the F-35 successful 2022. Instead, it precocious expressed involvement successful supplying Canada's request for grooming craft by offering its different homegrown design, the T-50 Golden Eagle.

The institution was anxious to speech astir that transportation and showcase the airy aircraft, which had its debut successful 2002.

Hahn said 1 of the charismatic features of that pitchy is that it could beryllium re-rolled to go a airy combat craft should Canada request to rapidly grow the capableness of its aerial unit successful an emergency.

"The cardinal connection is versatile and the FA-50 is susceptible of not lone the trainer broadside of the aircraft, but besides the ngo broadside of the aircraft. It is susceptible of conducting air-to-air missions with medium-range missiles and AESA radar, and besides susceptible of air-to-ground onslaught missions with sniper targeting pods and Maverick missiles and each that."

The institution ne'er received a reply to its connection precocious past twelvemonth and truthful it's unclear however it was received by the Defence Department, which has been consumed with the program to present the F-35 and each of the associated infrastructure overhauls that spell with it.

Question of committedness to 'Made successful Canada'

Would either the KF-21 oregon the T/FA-50 beryllium suitable alternatives if Canada's narration with Washington deteriorates further?

Within South Korea's defence establishment, there's heavy skepticism astir however superior either a re-elected Liberal authorities oregon a caller Conservative authorities would beryllium to diversify subject purchases and trade.

The apprehension whitethorn beryllium justified. Talks betwixt Canada and the U.S. connected a renewed commercialized woody are expected to get underway successful the archetypal week of May.

On Monday, arsenic Liberal Leader Mark Carney underlined a recycled program to make a Canadian defence procurement agency, helium was asked whether his "Made successful Canada" defence program would beryllium sacrificed for the broader nonsubjective of bringing an extremity to the commercialized warfare with the United States and securing entree to the markets southbound of the border.

He didn't reply the question directly.

"When you spell into negotiation, you person to cognize wherever you stand. You person to cognize what you want. You person to beryllium strong. You person to beryllium clear. That's wherefore we're mounting retired these policies. They're successful the interests of Canada," Carney said.

"They're successful the interests of Canadian workers. They're successful the involvement of Canadian security. And truthful we volition beryllium negotiating from a presumption of spot with the Americans."