US Provisionally Approves Selling 25 Additional F-35 Stealth Fighters to South Korea

“South Korea will have no trouble getting F-35s”
F-35 sale subject to final approval by U.S. Congress

It has been reported that the U.S. has provisionally approved the additional sale of advanced stealth fighter F-35 to South Korea.

On the 14th, Yonhap News reported this news based on the U.S. Department of State announcement.

According to the report, the U.S. Department of State provisionally approved the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of F-35 stealth fighters to South Korea on the 13th (local time).

The U.S. Department of State, under the Department of Defense, announced that it has provisionally approved the purchase of F-35 fighter jets and related equipment worth $5.6 billion, as requested by the South Korean government.

The purchase package includes 25 F-35 fighter jets, engines, electronic warfare equipment, and military and technical support.

Regarding this decision, the Department of Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that “this proposed sale will support the U.S. diplomatic policy goals and national security objectives by improving the security of key allies, which are major forces supporting political stability and economic development in the Indo-Pacific region.”

They further stated, “This sale will provide South Korea with a credible defense capability to deter attacks within its territory and ensure interoperability with the U.S. military, enhancing South Korea’s ability to respond to current and future threats without fundamentally changing the basic military balance in the region.”

They also emphasized that “since the South Korean military already operates F-35s, there will be no difficulty in introducing the fighter jets, and this sale will not change the basic military balance in the region.”

This sale is scheduled to be finalized through the approval of the U.S. Congress.

Our Defense Acquisition Program Administration held the 150th Defense Acquisition Program Committee in March.

At this meeting, the Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration introduced about 20 additional F-35A fighter jets that will clandestinely strike North Korea’s nuclear and missile facilities if necessary.