The
Republic of Korea Air Force (
ROK Air Force,
ROKAF,
HangulHangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language, as distinguished from the logographic Sino-Korean hanja system...
: 대한민국 공군,
HanjaHanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 大韓民國 空軍) is the
air forceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military that primarily conducts aerial warfare...
of
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
. It operates under the Ministry of National Defense.
The ROKAF has about 400 combat aircraft of American design, plus a few Russian and indigenously designed aircraft.
Founding Years
Shortly after the end of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Korean Air Construction Association was founded in 1944 to publicize the importance of air power. Despite the then-scanty status of Korean armed forces, the first air unit was formed on May 5, 1948 under the direction of Dong Wi-bu, the forerunner to the modern Korean Ministry of National Defence. On September 13 1949, the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contributed 10
L-4 GrasshopperThe Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time...
observation aircraft to the Korean air unit. An Army Air Academy was founded on January, 1949, and the ROKAF was officially founded on October, 1949.
The outbreak of the Korean war and the 1950s
The 1950s were a critical time for the ROKAF as it expanded tremendously during the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
. At the outbreak of the war, the ROKAF consisted of 1,800 personnel but was equipped with only 20 trainer and liaison aircraft, including 10
T-6 TexanThe North American T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train fighter pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II. Designed by North American Aviation, The T-6 is...
(
KoreanHangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language, as distinguished from the logographic Sino-Korean hanja system...
:건국기,
HanjaHanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 建國機, Geongukgi) advanced trainers purchased from
CanadaThe Royal Canadian Air Force was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces...
. The North Korean air force had acquired a considerable number of
Yak-9The Yakovlev Yak-9 was a single-engine fighter aircraft used by the Soviet Union in World War II and after. It was the most numerous Soviet fighter of the war and remained in production from 1942 to 1948, with 16,769 built.-Design and development:...
and
La-7The Lavochkin La-7 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the Lavochkin La-5, and the last in a family of aircraft that had begun with the LaGG-1 in 1938.-Design and development:...
fighters from the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, dwarfing the ROKAF in terms of size and strength. However, during the course of the war, the ROKAF acquired 110 aircraft: 79 fighter-bombers, three fighter squadrons, and one fighter wing. The first combat aircraft received were
F-51D MustangsThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat World War II fighter aircraft. Designed, built and airborne in just 117 days, the Mustang first flew in RAF service as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft before conversion to a bomber escort, employed in raids over...
, along with a contingent of
US Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
instructor pilots under the command of Major
Dean HessDean E Hess was an American minister and United States Air Force colonel who was involved in the so called "Kiddy Car Airlift", the documented rescue of 950 orphans and 80 orphanage staff from the path of the Chinese advance during the Korean War, on December 20, 1950...
. The ROKAF participated in bombing operations and flew independent sorties. After the war, the ROKAF Headquarters was moved to Daebangdong,
SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and most of Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million...
. Air Force University was also founded in 1956.
The 1960s
To counter the threat of possible North Korean aggression, the ROKAF underwent a substantial capability enhancement. The ROKAF acquired
T-28The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan was a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s...
trainers,
F-86DThe North American Aviation F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. The Sabre is best known for its Korean War role where it was pitted against the Soviet MiG-15 and obtained UN air superiority...
night- and all-weather interceptors, F-5 fighters and
F-4DThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
fighter bombers. Air Force Operations Command was established in 1961 to secure efficient command and control facilities. Air Force logistics Command was established in 1966, and emergency runways were constructed for emergency use during wartime. Eunma Unit was founded in 1966 to aid the United States during the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
.
The 1970s
The ROKAF was posed with a security risk, with an increasingly belligerent North Korea throughout the 1970s. The South Korean government increased its expenditure on the ROKAF, resulting in purchase of F-5E fighters in August of 1974 and F-4E fighter bombers. Support aircraft, such as
C-123sThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
and
S-2sThe Grumman S-2 Tracker was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the US Navy....
were also purchased at the time. Great emphasis was placed in the flight training program; new trainer aircraft (
T-41The T-41 Mescalero is a military version of the popular Cessna 172 used by the United States Air Force and the United States Army as a pilot training aircraft.-Design and development:...
and
T-37The Cessna T-37 Tweet is one of the most prominent of the trainer-attack type aircraft. This small, economical twin-engine jet aircraft flew for decades as a primary trainer for the United States Air Force , and in the air forces of several other nations...
) were purchased, and the Air Force Education & Training Command was also founded in 1973 to consolidate and enhance the quality of personnel training.
The 1980s and 1990s
The ROKAF concentrated on qualitative expansion of aircraft to catch up to the strength of North Korean Air Force. In 1982, Korean variants of the F-5E, the Jegong-ho (
hangulHangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language, as distinguished from the logographic Sino-Korean hanja system...
:제공호,
hanjaHanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
:制空號) were first produced. The ROKAF gathered a good deal of information on the North Korean Air Force when Captain Lee Woong-Pyeong, a North Korean pilot, defected to South Korea. The Korean Combat Operations Information center was soon formed and the Air Defence System was automated to attain air superiority against
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
. When the
1988 Seoul OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan...
was held in
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
, the ROKAF contributed to the success of this event by helping to oversee the entire security system. The ROKAF also moved its headquarters and the Air Force Education & Training Command to other locations. Forty
F-16 Fighting FalconThe Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
fighters were obtained by South Korea in 1989.
South Korea committed its support for the coalition force during the Persian Gulf War. The Bima Unit was formed to participate in
Operation Desert Storm. The ROKAF also provided
airliftAirlift may refer to:*Airlift, in logistics, the act of transporting people or cargo from point to point using aircraft*Airlift , in nautical archaeology, a suction device for moving sand and silt underwater...
support for peacekeeping operations in
SomaliaSomalia , officially the Republic of Somalia and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic, is a country located in the Horn of Africa...
in 1993. The increased participation in international operations depicted the ROKAF's elevated international position. Over 180 KF-16 fighters, versions the of
F-16 Block 52The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft...
, were introduced as part of the Peace Bridge II & III program from 1994. In 1997, for the first time in Korean aviation history, female cadets were accepted into the
Korean Air Force AcademyKorea Air Force Academy is a Republic of Korea Air Force institution for the undergraduate education and military training of officers. It is located at Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea...
.
Present
South Korea maintains the modern South Korean Air Force in order to defend itself from various threats, including that of the
North Korean ArmyThe Korean People's Army comprises the military forces of North Korea. Kim Jung-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
and
North Korean Air ForceThe Korean People's Air Force, , is the name of the unified aviation forces of North Korea. The KPAF is the second-largest branch of the Korean People's Army with an estimated 110,000 personnel. It possesses between 1,600 and 1,700 aircraft of different types, mostly of Soviet and Chinese origin....
, which fields about twice as many aircraft (mostly older and obsolescent Soviet-designed fighters). As of
2008This is a list of aviation-related events from 2008:-January:*2 January – Asian Spirit Flight 321, an NAMC YS-11, overruns the runway while landing in Masbate City, Philippines...
, the South Korean Air Force flew more than 180 KF-16, 174 F-5E/F, 130
F-4D/EThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
, 39 F-15K (with 21 additional F-15Ks being delivered by June 2010)), and a number of South Korean-made
T-50/A-50sThe T-50 Golden Eagle is a South Korean supersonic advanced trainer and light attack jet, developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries beginning in the late 1990s. The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the few supersonic trainers...
among its combat aircraft. The last of the old South Korean 60 F-5A/B fighters were all retired in August 2007, and they are being replaced with the F-15K and A-50. The South Korean variant the of F-15E were named the F-15K
Slam Eagles due to their capability to launch the
SLAM-ERThe Standoff Land Attack Missile or SLAM is a subsonic, over-the-horizon, all-weather standoff cruise missile which grew out of the United States Navy's Harpoon anti-ship missile in the 1970s.-The original SLAM:...
missiles and Harpoon Missiles. South Korea became one of the world's few aircraft exporters when it sold 19 KT-1B trainer aircraft to
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in 2003.
Korean Aerospace IndustriesKorea Aerospace Industries Ltd. is a South Korean national aerospace company established in 1999 with the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company .- Past and current aircraft models :Military*KT-1, 1998*T-50 Golden Eagle,...
, the South Korean national aerospace company, has plans to export more KT-1 and
T-50 Golden EagleThe T-50 Golden Eagle is a South Korean supersonic advanced trainer and light attack jet, developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries beginning in the late 1990s. The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the few supersonic trainers...
supersonic trainer aircraft to other countries. In addition, the
Ilyushin Il-103The Ilyushin Il-103 is a single-engined, low-winged training aircraft developed in the Soviet Union before its fall and produced in Russia. It was the first Russian aircraft to achieve Federal Aviation Administration certification for sales in the United StatesProduced by RSK-MiG, it has been...
prop-driven trainer has replaced the T-41 in the primary training role.
The Republic of Korea Air Force also expressed interests in acquiring the
RQ-4 Global HawkThe Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the United States Air Force as a surveillance aircraft....
remotely piloted vehicleRemotely Piloted Vehicle is a term used by United States Department of Defense during the 70's and 80's to describe a robotic aircraft flown by a pilot located in a Ground Control Station...
(RPV) and a numbes of
Joint Direct Attack MunitionThe Joint Direct Attack Munition is a "joint" United States Air Force and United States Navy program that utilizes a guidance kit that converts existing unguided gravity bombs, or "dumb bombs", into all-weather "smart" munitions...
conversion kits to further improve its intelligence and offensive capabilities.
On 20 October 2009, Bruce S. Lemkin, deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force said that the ROKAF's limited intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities increased the risk of instability on the Korean Peninsula and suggested the purchase of American systems such as the
F-35 Lightning IIThe Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, stealth-capable multirole fighter, that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defense missions...
to close this gap.
Order of battle
- Republic of Korea Air Force Headquarters (대한민국 공군본부)
- Air Force Operations Command (공군작전사령부)
-
-
-
- 5th Tactical Airlift Wing (제5전술공수비행단)
- 15th Composite Wing (제15혼성비행단)
- 30th Air Defense and Control Wing (제30방공관제단)
- 6th Combat Control Team/Combat Search And Rescue Group (제6탐색구조전대)
- Air Force Northern Combat Command (공군북부전투사령부) (unit under formation, will be operational by 2010)
-
- 8th Fighter Wing (제8전투비행단)
- 10th Fighter Wing (제10전투비행단)
- 17th Fighter Wing (제17전투비행단)
- 18th Fighter Wing (제18전투비행단)
- 19th Fighter Wing (제19전투비행단)
- 20th Fighter Wing (제20전투비행단)
- Air Force Southern Combat Command (공군남부전투사령부)
-
- 1st Fighter Wing (제1전투비행단)
- 11th Fighter Wing (제11전투비행단)
- 16th Fighter Wing (제16전투비행단)
- Air Defence Artillery Command (방공포병사령부)
-
- 1st Air Defence Artillery Brigade (제1방공포병여단)
- 2nd Air Defence Artillery Brigade (제2방공포병여단)
- 3rd Air Defence Artillery Brigade (제3방공포병여단)
- Air Force Logistics Command (공군군수사령부)
- Maintenance Depots (정비창)
- Supply Depots (보급창)
- Transportation Groups (수송단)
- Air Force Education & Training Command
Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Command , located in Jinju, was established 1973. The command is one of the major commands of the Republic of Korea Air Force. The total area of the base is about 1.1 million square meters.-History:The Command traces its origin to the Air Education...
(공군교육사령부)
- Air Force University (공군대학)
- Basic Military Training Wing (기본군사훈련단)
- 3rd Flying Training Wing (제3훈련비행단)
- Air Force High School of Technology (공군기술고등학교)
- Technical Schools (병과학교)
- Aerospace Projects Group
- Aerial Combat Development Group (공군전투발전단)
- Air Force Academy
Korea Air Force Academy is a Republic of Korea Air Force institution for the undergraduate education and military training of officers. It is located at Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea...
(공군사관학교)
F-X Phase 1
One of the most recent additions to the ROKAF is
F-15K Slam Eagle (
KoreanKorean is the official language of North Korea and South Korea. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers. It was formerly written using Hanja, borrowed Chinese characters pronounced in the Korean...
: F-15K
슬램이글Hangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language, as distinguished from the logographic Sino-Korean hanja system...
), an advanced derivative of the
F-15E Strike EagleThe F-15E Strike Eagle is a 1980s American all-weather strike fighter, designed for long-range interdiction of enemy ground targets deep behind enemy lines...
which fulfilled the requirements of the "F-X" next generation fighter program in
2002This is a list of aviation-related events from 2002:- Events :A depression in North American commercial aviation begins in the aftermath of economic recession and the September 11 attacks.-January:...
. The F-15K was chosen over the
Dassault RafaleThe Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engined delta-wing highly agile multi-role 4.5th-generation jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with...
, the
Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole aircraft. It is being designed and built by a consortium of three separate partner companies: Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, and EADS working through a holding company Eurofighter GmbH which was formed in 1986...
, and the Russian
Sukhoi Su-35The Sukhoi Su-35 is a 4+ generation heavy class, long-range, multi-role, air superiority fighter and strike fighter. Due to the similar features and components it contains, the Sukhoi Su-35 is considered to be a close cousin of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, a specialized version of the Su-30...
. Although the Rafale fighter received more favorable reviews from the senior military officials, the F-15K was chosen at the end due to the easier process of integration into the ROKAF since the Air Force already has supplies of American-designed and made weapons that can be installed on the F-15K more readily than on the Rafale.
F-15K crash controversy
On June 7, 2006, an F-15K crashed off the coast of
PohangPohang is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two wards , Buk-gu and Nam-gu .-History:...
, North Gyeongsang Province, S. Korea, during a nighttime intercept training mission, killing both pilots on board. The ROKAF commissioned a full investigation, lasting several months. The Republic of Korea Air Force later issued a public statement saying that the accident was apparently caused by both crew members entering a state of g-force Loss-of-Consciousness that lasted 16 seconds and resulted in loss of control of the aircraft. Subsequent public outcry ensued with accusations of a cover-up. Various Discussions included 1. the blackbox (ECSMU) was not recovered, due to the great depth (1200 ft)of the crash site. 2. F-15Ks are NOT equipped with automatic GLC (G Limited Control device?) systems, and 3. the pilots were both seasoned Air Force veterans and the claim that both of them simultaneously lost consciousness for 16 seconds seemed unlikely. (The normal time for gloc is between two and three seconds). Other factors considered in the investigation were the cloudy weather conditions, pilot workload, a night mission with the use of night vision goggles. Flight control actuators and major engine parts that were found and analyzed as part of the investigation which ruled out mechanical problems with the aircraft.
http://news.naver.com/news/read.php?mode=LSD&office_id=047&article_id=0000085633§ion_id=100&menu_id=100
F-X Phase 2
For the second phase of the F-X program, ROKAF has purchased 21 additional F-15K to compensate for the retirement of their F-5A/B in August 2007. The avionics configuration for the Phase 1 and 2 F-15K remains largely identical, and the only differences are that the weapon compatibility has been increased (
AGM-158 JASSMThe AGM-158 JASSM is a low observable standoff cruise missile developed in the United States.- Overview :...
,
Bunker BustersA bunker buster is a bomb designed to penetrate hardened targets or targets buried deep underground.-World War II:In World War II the British designer Barnes Wallis, of bouncing-bomb fame, designed two bombs that would today be called bunker busters: the five tonne Tallboy and the ten tonne Grand...
, etc.) and that the engines have been switched from the F110-STW-129A to the F100-PW-229EEP, an improved version of the F100-PW-229. The new engines have commonality with the F100-PW-229 engines on the KF-16 and are compatible with each other, allowing ROKAF the option to interchange the engines among the KF-16 and Phase 2 F-15K. This allows the F-15K to be equipped with a KF-16's F100-PW-229 if necessary. However, the decision has not been well received by some South Korean military pundits, who remain skeptical about the Pratt & Whitney engines due to its reliability problems on the KF-16 and consider the General Electric engines to be much more reliable.
http://bemil.chosun.com/brd/view.html?tb=BEMIL085&pn=1&num=105294http://www.f-16.net/f-16_mishaps_airforce-ROKAF.html
F-X Phase 3
The third phase of the F-X project is a bid for an advanced multi-role strike fighter aircraft by 2014, intended to replace the aging
F-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
and F-5. The rumored purchase number is 40-60 aircraft (11.6 billion dollar project). The Korean Ministry of Defense has shown interest in the
F-22 RaptorThe Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles...
, but the
United States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military...
is unlikely to permit the export of this advanced stealth fighter. The only candidate remaining is the
F-35 Lightning IIThe Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, stealth-capable multirole fighter, that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defense missions...
Joint Strike Fighter, but the
BoeingThe Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois, since 2001...
Corporation of the United States is proposing its newly-designed
F-15SE Silent EagleThe Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle is a proposed upgrade of the F-15E by Boeing using fifth generation fighter features, such as internal weapons carriage and radar-absorbent material.-Design and development:...
to South Korean Air Force.
E-X Early warning aircraft program
The E-X
Airborne Early WarningAn airborne early warning and control system is an airborne radar system designed to detect aircraft. Used at a high altitude, the radars allow the operators to distinguish between friendly and hostile aircraft hundreds of miles away. AEW&C aircraft are used for defensive and offensive air...
(AEW) airplane program was a project undertaken by ROKAF to purchase early warning aircraft to strengthen ROKAF's ability to detect and distinguish between both friendly and hostile aircraft. The two candidates for this program are the
Boeing WedgetailThe Boeing 737 AEW&C is an Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft. It is about half the weight and has half the engines of the 707-based E-3 Sentry, and mounts a fixed, electronically scanned, rather than a rotating radar antenna. It was designed in response to Australia's RFP for an aircraft...
, military version of the
Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has nine variants with the -600, -700, -800 and -900 currently in production.Originally envisioned in...
, and the
Gulfstream G500/G550The Gulfstream G500 and G550 are business jet aircraft produced by General Dynamics' Gulfstream Aerospace unit, located in Savannah, Georgia, USA. They are variants of the Gulfstream V. There are nine G500s, and 198 G550s in active service as of January 2009.-Gulfstream G500:The G500, a variant of...
, developed by the
General DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. The company has four main business segments:...
company of the U.S.
The AEW version of Boeing 737 was offered by the United States, whereas the variant of Gulfstream of G500/G550 was offered by
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
. Originally, ROKAF expressed interest in the Gulfstream as it was cheaper than the Boeing counterpart. The Gulfstream was, in turn, less capable than the 737. However, the fact that almost no other nations, barring Japan, has advanced AWACS gave the Koreans the impression that the Gulfstream would be adequate enough to handle the given task of the E-X project.
In response to ROKAF's favor of the Israeli version of Gulfstream's lower cost, the United States issued a warning to the Israelis that several of the AWACS technologies employed aboard the Israeli Gulfstream were developed by the United States, such as the
IFFSecondary surveillance radar is a radar system used in air traffic control , which not only detects and measures the position of aircraft but also requests additional information from the aircraft itself such as its identity and altitude...
system, TADIL A/B (link 11) and J (link 16), satellite communications and
AN/ARC-164 Have Quick IIHAVE QUICK is a frequency-hopping system used to protect military UHF radio traffic.Since the end of World War II, U.S. and Allied military aircraft have used AM radios in the 225–400 MHz UHF band for short range air-to-air and ground-to-air communications...
radios, and thus that Israel was obliged not to resell any of these technologies to another country without the permission of the United Stated.
The winner of the AEW plane competition was chosen as the Boeing E-737 in November, 2006.
KF-X future fighter program
The KF-X program is a project to develop an indigenous fighter aircraft. The fighter will be a F-16 Block 50 class aircraft with basic stealth capabilities, intended to replace the F-4D/E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft. South Korea is seeking technological assistance from Saab, Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the production of KF-X.
Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" |
Fighter AircraftA fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets by dropping bombs. Fighters are small, fast, and maneuverable...
|-----
|
Boeing F-15E Strike EagleThe F-15E Strike Eagle is a 1980s American all-weather strike fighter, designed for long-range interdiction of enemy ground targets deep behind enemy lines...
|| || fighter-bomber || F-15K Slam Eagle || 39 (60) || under delivery
|-----
| Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon || || fighter
fighter-trainer
fighter
fighter-trainer || F-16C Block 32
F-16D Block 32
KF-16C Block 52
KF-16D Block 52 || 28
7
90
44 || KF-16 built by
KAIKorea Aerospace Industries Ltd. is a South Korean national aerospace company established in 1999 with the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company .- Past and current aircraft models :Military*KT-1, 1998*T-50 Golden Eagle,...
under license
|-----
| McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II || || reconnaissance
fighter-bomber
fighter-bomber || RF-4C
F-4D
F-4E || 17
~20
95 ||
|-----
| Northrop F-5E Tiger II || || fighter
fighter-trainer
fighter
fighter-trainer || F-5E
F-5F
KF-5E
KF-5F|| 135 ||F-5E/F to be replaced by FA-50
KF-5 built by
KAIKorea Aerospace Industries Ltd. is a South Korean national aerospace company established in 1999 with the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company .- Past and current aircraft models :Military*KT-1, 1998*T-50 Golden Eagle,...
under license
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" |
Transport AircraftTransport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes:* Airliners* Cargo aircraft* Mail planes* Military transport aircraft...
|-----
|
Avro 748The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated market. 380 aircraft...
|| || VIP transport || HS.748 || 7 ||
|-----
| Sikorsky UH-60 || || VIP transport
rescue helicopter || VH-60P
HH-60P || 10 ||
|-----
|
Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has nine variants with the -600, -700, -800 and -900 currently in production.Originally envisioned in...
|| || VIP transport || 737-3Z8 || 1 || Korean Air Force One
|-----
|
CASA CN-235The CASA/IPTN CN-235 is a medium-range twin-turbo-prop aircraft developed jointly between CASA in Spain and IPTN in Indonesia as a regional airliner and military transport. Amongst its military roles are maritime patrol, surveillance and troop transport...
||
|| tactical transport || CN-235-100
CN-235-220 || 12
12 || built by CASA
built by IAE
|-----
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules || || tactical transport || C-130H
C-130H-30 || 8
4 ||
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" |
Reconnaissance Aircraft
|-----
|
Raytheon Hawker 800The Hawker 800 is a mid-size twin-engine corporate aircraft. It is a development of the British Aerospace BAe 125, and is currently assembled by Hawker Beechcraft.-Development:...
|| || reconnaissance || Hawker 800RA
Hawker 800SIG || 4
4 ||
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" |
Trainer Aircraft
|-----
| BAE Hawk || || trainer || T-59 Hawk 67 || 16 ||
|-----
| Cessna T-37 Tweet || || trainer || T-37C Tweet || 25 || T-37 is replaced by KT-1
|-----
|
Eurocopter AS 332L CougarThe Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar is a twin-engined, medium-weight, multipurpose helicopter. The AS 532 is a further development and upgrade of the Aérospatiale Puma in its militarized form...
|| || VIP transport helicopter || AS 332L || 3 || built by IPTN
|-----
|
Ilyushin Il-103The Ilyushin Il-103 is a single-engined, low-winged training aircraft developed in the Soviet Union before its fall and produced in Russia. It was the first Russian aircraft to achieve Federal Aviation Administration certification for sales in the United StatesProduced by RSK-MiG, it has been...
|| || trainer || T-103 || 23 ||
|-----
| KAI KT-1 Ungbi || || trainer
forward air control & liaison || KT-1
KA-1 || 85
20 ||
|-----
| KAI T-50 Golden Eagle || || advanced trainer
aerobatic specialized
CRT trainer/light attacker
light fighter/attacker || T-50
T-50B
TA-50
FA-50 || 45+ (50)
0 (10)
0 (22) (50)
0 (60) || under delivery
under delivery, Black Eagles will use T-50 until T-50B delivered
under delivery
under development
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" |
Helicopters
|-----
| Bell UH-1H Iroquis || || utility helicopter || UH-1H || 13 ||
|-----
|
Bell UH-1N Twin HueyThe Bell 212 Twin Huey is a two-bladed, twin-engined, medium helicopter that first flew in 1968. Originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, the 212 is marketed to civilian operators and has a fifteen-seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers...
|| || transport helicopter || 212
UH-1N || 2
3 ||
|-----
| Boeing CH-47 Chinook || || rescue helicopter || HH-47D || 7 ||
|-----
| Kamov Ka-32 Helix-C || || rescue helicopter || Ka-32T || 7 ||
|-----
|
Sikorsky S-92A SuperhawkThe Sikorsky S-92 is a four-bladed twin-engine medium-lift helicopter built by Sikorsky Aircraft for the civil and military helicopter market...
|| || VIP transport helicopter || S-92A || 3 ||
|-----
|}
Air Defense Artillery
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Air Defense Artillery
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
|
Raytheon MIM-104 PatriotThe MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the Raytheon Company of the United States. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary High to Medium...
|| || surface-to-air missile || MIM-104C PAC-2 || 3 battalions || former German Bundeswehr equipment
|-----
| Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk || || surface-to-air missile || || 6 battalions || To be replaced by KM-SAM
|-----
|}
Military ranks
Officer ranks can be learned fairly easily if one sees the pattern. "So" equals small; "Jung" equals medium; "Dae" equals large. "Jun" equals very small (used for 1 star general). Each of these is coupled with "wi" equals company grade, "ryeong" equals field grade, and "jang" equals general. This system is due to the
hanjaHanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
or Sino-Korean origin of the names.
Because of this system, the same "Dae", but with a different "jang" means "large intestine," while "Sojang" can mean "small intestine." This is sometimes the subject of South Korean military humor.
Commissioned Officers
| ROK Air Force rank |
ROK Air Force insignia |
| Dae-jang Daejang is a senior military rank of the Korean Peninsula, used by both North and South Korea. It is considered the combined equivalent of a General and Admiral in other nations...
(General) |
|
|
| Jung-jang The rank of Lieutenant General is known in South Korea as Chungjang . The rank is also held by Korean Vice Admirals and uses three stars as its badge of rank, much like the United States version....
(Lieutenant General) |
|
|
So-jang
(Major General) |
|
|
| Jun-jang In Korean, Chunjiang may refer to:* Brigadier General. See Brigadier General#Korea* A black soybean paste used in Jajangmyeon...
(Brigader General) |
|
|
| Dae-ryeong Taeryong is a Korean military rank used by the armed forces of South Korea. The rank is denoted by three large starbursts worn as a collar insignia. The rank is uniform throughout the Korean Army, Air force, and Navy. The equivalent rank is most western militaries in Colonel, with Captain being...
(Colonel) |
|
|
| Jung-ryeong Chungryong , often spelled Chung-Ryong, is a South Korean officer rank which is considered the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel and also to a Commander in the Republic of Korea Navy....
(Lieutenant Colonel) |
|
|
| So-ryeong Soryong is a South Korean rank which is equvialent to a Major and to a Lieutenant Commander. The South Korean insignia consists of a single star burst collar insignia....
(Major) |
|
| Dae-wi Daewi is a military rank in both South Korean and North Korean militaries. In the South Korean military, it corresponds to U.S. Army and Air Force captain and U.S. Navy lieutenant. In the North Korean military, it corresponds to an army or air force senior captain, a rank between U.S. captain and...
(Captain) |
|
|
| Jung-wi Chungwi is the second most junior Korean officer rank in both the militaries of North and South Korea. It is considered the equivalent of a First Lieutenant in most other militaries....
(First Lieutenant) |
|
|
| So-wi Sowi is the junior most Korean officer rank in both the militaries of North and South Korea. It is considered the equivalent of a Second Lieutenant in most other militaries....
(Second Lieutenant) |
|
Warrant officers
| ROK Air Force rank |
ROK Air Force insignia |
|
| Jun-wi Junwi is a Korean military rank which is the equivalent to a Warrant Officer in other countries. The rank of Junwi only exists in South Korea with the North Korean military having no equivalent....
(Warrant Officer) |
² |
Non-Commissioned Officers
| ROK Air Force rank |
ROK Air Force insignia |
|
| Won-sa Wonsa is the highest enlisted South Korean military rank, equivalent to a Sergeant Major in most other countries. The rank of Wonsa is derived from the supreme officer rank of Wonsu and wears as its insignia three chevrons with a star centered above....
(Chief Master Sergeant) |
|
|
| Sang-sa Sangsa is a Korean military rank used by both the armed forces of North and South Korea. A Sangsa is the equivalent to a First Sergeant in most other militaries....
(Senior Master Sergeant) |
|
|
| Jung-sa Jungsa is a Korean military rank used by the armed forces of South and North Koreas. A Jungsa is the equivalent to a Sergeant First Class.The rank of Jungsa is junior to a Sangsa in North and South Korea....
(Master Sergeant) |
|
|
| Ha-sa Hasa is a Korean military rank which is used in both the armed forces of North and South Korea. In both countries, the rank is considered the first non-commissioned officer grade and is generally considered the equivalent of a Sergeant in western militaries....
(Technical Sergeant) |
|
Enlisted
| ROK Air Force rank |
ROK Air Force insignia |
|
Byeong-jang
(Senior Airman) |
|
|
Sang-deung-byeong
(Airman First Class) |
|
|
Il-deung-byeong
(Airman) |
|
|
I-deung-byeong
(Airman Basic) |
|
¹: No one held the rank of
Won-su in the history of the ROK Armed Forces yet.
²: The
Jun-wi (Warrant Officer)'s insignia is in brass color while the ones of Second Lieutenant and higher are in silver color.
See also
- Military of South Korea
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of South Korea...
- Korean People's Army Air Force
- Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ)
External links