Aviation
S. Korea to Buy 40 Fighter Jets With Stealth Capabilities
SEOUL – South Korean military leaders recommended purchasing 40 fighter jets with stealth capabilities and indicated Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35 provided the best defense against North Korea’s growing nuclear threat.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t specifically name the Lockheed jet as the winner of the multi-billion dollar order in its statement, though the F-35 is the “only aircraft that fits requirements” set by the military, Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok told journalists in Seoul today.
The original tender process, which began almost two years ago, bogged down following the rejection of Boeing Co. (BA)’s F-15 Silent Eagle, as defense priorities shifted after the North launched long-range rockets and tested a third nuclear device. In recent months, South Korea has revised its security strategy to include the possibility of first strikes against the North, putting a premium on radar-evading technology.
“The stealthiness of the F-35 is a key consideration when you think about what kind of missions the Republic of Korea Air Force could be conducting — deep strike, for one,” said James Hardy, a London-based analyst at IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly.
The Joint Chiefs decision came hours after North Korea threatened to strike out at President Park Geun Hye and turn the presidential Blue House in Seoul into a “sea of fire” if South Korea makes any provocations, an unnamed North Korean military spokesman told the official Korean Central News Agency.
The fighter jet South Korea will buy “should be able to strike strategic targets after stealthily penetrating” into North Korea, the Joint Chiefs said in the statement.
More Planes
South Korea will sign the contract for the jets next year and take delivery starting in 2018, the Joint Chiefs said. The original tender was for 60 planes. Another 20 jets may be ordered depending on security needs, according to the statement.
The Lockheed F-35 was originally rejected as being too costly. By initially buying 40 jets the F-35 would now be within the original 8.3 trillion won ($7.8 billion) budget, easing final passage of the purchase by the Park government. Lockheed officials weren’t immediately available to comment.
The decision was also a setback for Boeing. In September, the ministry indicated it might consider buying a mix of planes, after refusing Boeing’s F-15 SE for the entire order because it lacked sufficient radar-evading capabilities.
Fighter Gap
“Once we are officially notified, we will closely review all new documentation before deciding how best to proceed forward,” Boeing said in an e-mailed statement. “We remain confident that the Advanced F-15, with its superior speed, range and payload, combined with cost and schedule certainty, is what Korea needs to meet its defense needs and address the growing fighter gap.”
Lockheed spokesman Philip Rood declined to comment on the fighter jet selection in South Korea.
South Korea faces North Korea over one of the world’s most heavily armed borders, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in a truce. In 2010, North Korea bombarded a South Korean island near the front line, killing four people. That incident has led South Korean military officials to vow air strikes should another frontline provocation take place.
U.S. Forces
President Park said Oct. 1 her government would hasten development of stepped-up surveillance and improved offensive weapons. The government has budgeted 1 trillion won next year for the plan. South Korea is also going to take over in the coming years war-time command of its forces from the U.S., which maintains about 28,500 troops in the country.
The U.S., Australia, Japan and Israel are among nations that have placed orders for the F-35, the Pentagon’s costliest weapon system.
The current price tag for 2,443 F-35s is $391.2 billion, a 68 percent increase from the projection in 2001, as measured in current dollars. This year, U.S. lawmakers, the Government Accountability Office and the Pentagon’s test office have said the aircraft is making progress in flight tests and in stabilizing production.
“Having more F-35s acquired by foreign allies and partners is helpful to us in keeping the costs lower for our own acquisition of the fighters that will eventually be the backbone of our fleet,” Bruce Lemkin, a former senior U.S. Air Force official who now heads Lemkin International LLC, a consulting firm, said by e-mail.
South Korea is expanding its air forces at time when the U.S. is trying to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear program and return to the six-nation talks that offered the country aid in return for disarmament.
Signs that the North would consider de-nuclearization are “absent,” U.S. envoy for North Korea Glyn Davies said today on a visit to meet South Korean officials in Seoul.
– BLOOMBERG
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced stringent measures against pilots and crew members who work for multiple airlines concurrently, a practice it describes as a serious safety violation.
In a letter dated November 6, 2024, Acting Director-General, Chris Nojomo warned that pilots operating for more than one airline without specific safety protocols pose significant risks to Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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The directive, titled “Prohibition of Ad-Hoc Flight Operators for Multiple Airlines,” noted that NCAA surveillance reports revealed multiple cases of unauthorized cross-airline work by flight crews, which the agency now plans to address.
According to the NCAA, simulator and proficiency checks endorsed on a pilot’s license are valid only for the specific airline and training program under which they were issued.
The letter stated, “With effect from the date of issuance of this directive, all operators and holders of pilot licenses are informed that this action will be treated as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”
The NCAA’s new policy, effective November 11, 2024, warns that violators will face strict enforcement actions. Moving forward, simulator renewals will also be filed directly with individual operators, further tightening the agency’s oversight.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
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