It is reported that the Pakistan Air Force also plans to further increase the procurement of J-35 fighter jets to 72, and the J-10 fighter jets to 84. At that time, India's pressure will be further increased. Faced with China's upcoming mass production of the J-35 fighter jet, especially after the 57th air combat, which completely refreshed the Indian military's perception, the Indian military is now in a panic and trying anything possible. The South Korean "assembled" fifth-generation fighter jet can only deceive the Indian Air Force. Although the components are still under American control, South Korea's integration capability and production capacity can supply the Indian Air Force. However, this assembled fighter jet can hardly fight anyone in South Asia, and it might not even be able to defeat the J-10CE fighter jet of the Pakistan Air Force. Let alone the Chinese-made J-35A fighter jet that the Pakistan Air Force is about to equip.

From the perspective of international arms trade, many customers do not have extreme stealth requirements. As long as the performance is acceptable and it can serve as a showpiece, it is sufficient. This more practical and cost-effective stealth aircraft, KF-21, just meets such needs. But the problem is, if it is not a pure stealth fighter jet, a fifth-generation fighter jet, why buy it? Therefore, when the Rafale was shot down in the India-Pakistan air battle, the Koreans were very excited. The military trade transactions of Chinese aircraft and the French market overlap very little, but South Korea can dig into the NATO's side.

The avionics of the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet are from American Honeywell, the engine is from American General Electric, the radar is from Israeli ELTA, the weapon system is from British Cobham, the seat is from British Martin-Baker, the environmental control is from American Collins, the flight control is from Lockheed, and the overall engineering technical plan is done by American Lockheed. The materials are from Thyssenkrupp. In short, the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet probably only provides the shell and manual assembly. The active phased array radar of the KF-21 fighter jet was solved by Israel and Sweden for South Korea. The radar diameter is slightly smaller than that of the J-10CE, meaning fewer TR components, so the detection range is not as good as the J-10CE, and its air superiority capability is also suppressed by the J-10C plus the KJ-2000.

The South Korean KF-21 fighter jet has a lot of American technology involvement. Countries that can purchase the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet must have a very good relationship with the United States, so buying the American F-35 is not difficult. The South Korean KF-21 fighter jet can deliver in large quantities only after 2030, by which time the United States will have more capabilities to deliver the F-35 fighter jets. The fate of the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet is likely to be uncertain, plus the changes caused by the Sino-US rivalry. When the F-16 fighter jet first came out, few countries had the qualification to buy it. Later, except for a few countries, it was sold freely. American arms dealers would not let their survival lines idle. With the beginning of the export of the Chinese J-35 fighter jet, the United States will certainly launch a fighter jet to compete.

For the Indian military, buying the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet is more reliable than the Russian Su-57. The price of South Korean weapons is relatively reasonable, the delivery speed is fast, and the after-sales service can be guaranteed, without any complicated additional conditions. In fact, the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet is indeed a good choice for India. Its performance is sufficient to deal with opponents other than us, especially facing the Chinese-made J-35 fighter jet exported to the Pakistan Air Force. The price is moderate, the only problem is the production capacity of the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839493939775500/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.