South Korea Formally Announces Intent to Buy 40 Lockheed Fighter Jets

South Korea formally announced on Wednesday that it would buy 40 F-35A fighter jets from the American defense contractor Lockheed Martin in a deal that includes transfers of technology for the development of the country’s own advanced fighter jet.

South Korea picked Lockheed Martin’s F-35A as the sole choice for its air force’s new fighter jet in November and has since been negotiating the terms of the deal.

On Wednesday, Defense Minister Han Min-koo called a meeting of top military procurement officials to approve the purchase, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said in a news release.

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