미국 언론에 노출된 "한국 F-35 구매 약속" 언급보도, 국내외 파장 크게 일어나...

 

그동안 여러 언론사의 보도 했던 대한민국 공군의 차기 전투기 FX-3차 사업 특혜 의혹이,  미국 언론에 노출된 "한국 F-35 구매 약속" 언급보도로 인해 특혜 가능성 높다는 여론이 높아지고 있다.

최근 국내 여러언론에서 FX-3사업에 사업자가 미국의 록히드마틴사의 F-35A(블럭3)로 사전 선정 되었다는 기사가 연합뉴스, 코리아타임즈, 경향신문등 의혹의 기사를 통해서 논란이 되어 왔다.

현재 방위사업청(DAPA) FX-3차 사업은 기종선정에 8개월의 시간이 있어, 여러가지 항목(도입비용, 작전 요구성능 충족성, 운영 및 상호 적합성)과 구매혜택(경제기술적옵션)등 150여개 항목을 조건을 저울질하고 있는 시점에서 유력한 사업자의 부사장의 코멘트에서 구체적으로 언급된것이 미 언론사에 지난 4일에 공개가 되어 파장이 일어나고 있다.

특히 방위사업청의 FX-3차는 미국의 록히드 마틴(F-35)과 보잉(F-15E), 유럽항공방위우주산업(EADS)의 유로파이터(타이푼)이 참여할 예정이고 여러국가에서 참가의향을 보이고 있는 상태다.

특히 록히드 마틴과 경쟁하기위해서 파격적인 혜택을 제시하고 있는 유럽항공방위우주산업(EADS)의 반발이 예상된다.

/ MediaPaper.KR mediapaper@ymail.com  Sejin Oh

[ 록히드매틴사 F-35 사진인용, 한국에 공급되는 F-35A 블럭3 와는 틀린 수직이착륙이 가능한 F-35C / The F-35C is designed to takeoff from and land on an aircraft carrier. Only the United States has ordered the carrier variant of the F-35 so far.]

[ http://www.nwfdailynews.com 기사 본문내용 February 04, 2012 4:53 PM ]

Lockheed: Foreign investors will offset F-35 program

/DUSTY RICKETTS / Daily News

FORT WALTON BEACH — Eglin Air Force Base may be able to boast the largest F-35 fleet in the world, but the Joint Strike Fighter is most certainly a global project.

Representatives from Lockheed Martin’s F-35 team met with local media recently to present a pro-gram-wide update on the Joint Strike Fighter. The $50 billion development program for the U.S. government is being offset by more than $35 billion in investments from foreign countries.

The United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Turkey, Canada and Norway are partner countries that have contributed to the development of the F-35 and have been involved with the program since 2002. The seven countries have committed to buying a total of about 800 of the jets.

“That means since this is the only maintenance training base for the F-35, (Eglin) will be hosting all seven countries,” said Stephen O’Bryan, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program integration. “You have a significant amount of international commitment to the program, and obviously you have the three services which will have jets and all three versions will be down here this year.”

The U.K. and the Netherlands will be the first partners to receive its jets at Eglin.

All F-35s coming out of Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth-based aeronautics center next year are expected to remain in the United States. In 2014, F-35s will be delivered to Italy and Australia, followed by more deliveries to the U.K. and Turkey in 2015. Japan, Norway and Israel will get them in 2016, along with Canada in 2017 and Denmark in 2018.

Although they have not helped fund the development of the F-35, Israel and Japan have agreed to purchase Joint Strike Fighters, O’Bryan said. In addition to the $65 million price tag for each jet, those countries will pay a recoupment fee to help make up some of the program’s development costs.

Additionally, South Korea and Singapore are also interested in the jets and will hold open competitions to determine which fifth generation fighter jet they will purchase.

O’Bryan said if Israel, Singapore, Japan and South Korea were to sign of with the F-35, the four countries are expected to order more jets than the seven partner countries that contributed to the program’s development.

Construction is ongoing in Italy on its $1 billion Final Assembly and Checkout Facility. The project is designed to take the parts completed in Fort Worth and finish the final 20 percent of assembly on the Italian F-35s.

Read more: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/fort-47230-investors-lockheed.html#ixzz1ln9usHw2