Seoul, MINA — Indonesia has stayed away from a South Korea-led fighter aircraft development program, code-named KF-X, since the latter half of last year, calling for the renegotiation on the terms of a related contract, Yonhap reported, citing Seoul’s arms agency Monday.
The Indonesian government had a total of 230 billion won (US$200 million) in arrears as of June, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
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The Southeast Asian nation has a deal with South Korea to pay for 20 percent of the cost to develop 4.5th-generation fighter jets by the mid-2020s. It’s estimated to be worth over 8 trillion won.
But it has been tepid on its role in the project, apparently seeking to lower its financial burden.
“There was a request (from Indonesia) to negotiate” its contribution, the DAPA spokesman Kang Hwan-seok told reporters here.
It adds to concern about the future of the KF-X project, although Kang said there’s no immediate impact from Indonesia’s stance.
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Indonesian officials are reviewing the country’s gains from the participation into the program, local media reported earlier.
Meanwhile, South Korea plans to complete a design process for its own fighter aircraft by September next year and produce the first prototype in 2021. (T/RS5/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
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