Saudi Arabia as a Sixth-Generation Fighter Jet Partner... Will F-35 Take the Lead? [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

As U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to sell the latest stealth fighter jet, the F-35, to Saudi Arabia, the country has become a competitor in the joint development of domestically produced sixth-generation fighter jets. Some experts suggest that the South Korean government should propose options that go beyond joint development, such as local production and joint exports to third countries.

Reuters Yonhap News

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President Trump stated that he would sell the latest stealth fighter jet, the F-35, to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited the White House in Washington, at a price of up to $102.1 million (approximately 149.5 billion won) per aircraft. Until now, the United States had rejected Saudi Arabia's request to purchase up to 48 F-35s, citing its Qualitative Military Edge (QME) policy. QME is a law enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2008 to ensure that Israel maintains military superiority over potential adversaries in the Middle East.

Currently, 20 U.S. allies, including South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia, have adopted the F-35. Among Middle Eastern countries, only Israel operates the F-35, possessing 75 units of the domestically modified 'F-35I Adir.' President Trump's indication of willingness to sell the jets is aimed at adding Saudi Arabia to the 'Abraham Accords'-his administration’s signature achievement of establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and major Arab and Islamic countries. The momentum has accelerated since Saudi Arabia announced in May this year its plans to invest a total of $600 billion (approximately 876 trillion won), including the purchase of U.S.-made weapons.

However, the mood within the United States is not favorable. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has purchased short-range ballistic missiles from China and strengthened military cooperation through joint naval exercises. Considering that the U.S. withdrew F-35 sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to concerns over technology leaks related to the use of Huawei’s telecommunications networks, the possibility of a sale to Saudi Arabia remains uncertain. Public opinion is also not supportive. On November 17, the Financial Times (FT) reported that Saudi state-owned real estate company Dar Global plans to jointly build a luxury resort in the Maldives with the Trump Organization, a business owned by the Trump family. The Trump Organization is also pursuing collaboration on Saudi urban development projects worth $63 billion (approximately 91.98 trillion won).

The South Korean government has been promoting joint development with Saudi Arabia by presenting a sixth-generation fighter jet concept plan, emphasizing that the development period could be significantly shortened by leveraging the KF-21 platform. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) plans to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter through Block-3 performance upgrades and to create a sixth-generation manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system. Experts point out that, even if there is joint development with Saudi Arabia, South Korea should propose options such as local production and joint exports to third countries, as was done in cooperation with the UAE. Additionally, support should be provided to help Saudi Arabia build independent operational capabilities.

To export fighter jets, the localization of aircraft engines must also be accelerated. Aircraft engines are a culmination of advanced technologies, including materials, precision processing, and electronic controls, with only a handful of countries possessing independent technology. Currently, only six countries-the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Ukraine, and China-have the capability to independently design and manufacture aircraft engines. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has designated core materials and component technologies for advanced aircraft engines with thrust ratings of 15,000 pounds-force (lbf) or higher, for both manned and unmanned aircraft, as national strategic technologies. The government has set a goal to invest approximately 3.35 trillion won over 14 years until 2039 to develop advanced aircraft engines with a thrust of 16,000 lbf. Through localization of aircraft engines, the government aims to strengthen the domestic industrial ecosystem and supply chain, thereby enhancing national security capabilities.

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