Discussion on Joint Development of 6th Generation Fighter Jet with Saudi Arabia Today [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik Participates in Saudi Defense Industry Exhibition
Defense Ministry "Efforts to Establish Mid- to Long-Term Defense Industry Cooperation Foundation"

Our government is set to begin full-scale discussions on the joint development of a 6th-generation fighter jet with Saudi Arabia. If the joint development is successful, it is expected to hold a significant share in the global aviation export market.

Shin Won-sik (left), Minister of National Defense, who is on an official visit to the UAE (United Arab Emirates), visited the UAE Ministry of Defense on the 2nd (local time) and held a ceremonial event with Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of State for Defense Affairs.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 3rd, Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the same day to hold talks with Mohamed bin Mubarak Al Mazrouei, the UAE’s Minister of State for Defense Affairs. He also visited the Ark Unit deployed in the UAE to encourage the troops. From the 3rd to the 5th, he will visit Saudi Arabia to attend the 2nd International Defense Industry Exhibition (WDS) held in the capital Riyadh. WDS is a biennial defense exhibition hosted by Saudi Arabia. A Ministry of National Defense official explained, “Minister Shin’s visit to three countries is a follow-up measure at the Ministry of National Defense level after the summit meeting,” adding, “We will strive to establish an institutional foundation for defense industry cooperation from a more mid- to long-term and strategic perspective.”

Senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) secretly visited Saudi Arabia from the 23rd to the 26th of last month. They met with officials including Khaled bin Husein Al-Biyari, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Defense for Political Affairs, and discussed the joint development of the 6th-generation fighter jet.

Minister Shin Won-sik Visits Saudi Arabia Following UAE Visit for Full-Scale Discussions

▲Why Partner with Saudi Arabia?= The reason our government and Saudi Arabia are actively discussing the joint development of a 6th-generation fighter jet is due to the fierce competition in the global defense market for supersonic fighter jet development. Globally, the main fighters in use such as the F-15 and F-16 (USA), Eurofighter (Europe), and J-10 (China) are classified as 4th-generation fighters, while the latest stealth fighters like the F-35 (USA), SU-57 (Russia), and J-20 (China) are classified as 5th-generation. Korea’s KF-21 Boramae, currently under development, corresponds to a 4.5-generation fighter, positioned between 4th and 5th generations. Turkey, India, and Sweden are also developing 5th-generation fighters.

Saudi Arabia has so far been unable to find a partner country for the joint development of a 6th-generation fighter jet. The United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan signed the ‘Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP)’ treaty last month to jointly develop a 6th-generation fighter jet. GCAP plans to deploy a fighter jet with greatly enhanced supersonic performance and radar detection capabilities by 2035. Saudi Arabia has expressed its desire to participate in GCAP several times. In July last year, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia conveyed this intention during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. However, Japan reportedly opposed the idea, citing that much of the work was already completed and the schedule to finish the project by 2035 was tight. In Europe, under Germany’s leadership, France and Spain are jointly developing the 6th-generation fighter ‘Future Combat Air System (FCAS),’ with the first test flight scheduled for 2029.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

▲Korea’s 6th-Generation Fighter Jet= Our government has presented Saudi Arabia with a conceptual plan for the 6th-generation fighter jet. It emphasized that the development period could be significantly shortened based on the KF-21. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) plans to develop a 5th-generation stealth fighter through Block-3 phase performance upgrades and create a 6th-generation manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system. Using Korean Air’s Gaori-X1, plans also include ‘unmanned swarm aircraft’ and ‘stealth unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.’

For the 6th-generation fighter jet, a voice and video combat situation awareness and control system to reduce pilot workload will be developed over five years until November 2028. KAI will oversee the project, with detailed tasks involving leading domestic defense companies with specialized technical capabilities and the end-users participating in development. A comprehensive project to develop AI-based mission modules and design technology will be led by KAI in collaboration with avionics specialists, developing AI-based mission modules, composing operational scenarios for manned-unmanned teaming systems, deriving operational requirements, and conducting operational concept and foundational technology analysis. Collaboration will also be conducted with companies specializing in voice and video combat situation awareness and control systems, as well as voice communication and control technologies.

Manned-Unmanned Teaming is Key to the 6th-Generation Fighter Jet

▲Japan, Italy, and the UK Also Join Forces= To develop the 6th-generation fighter jet, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara pledged last year to jointly develop the aircraft. The GCAP, unveiled in December last year, combines the UK and Italy’s 6th-generation fighter development plan ‘Tempest’ and Japan’s next-generation fighter development plan ‘F-X,’ expected to replace each country’s main fighters such as the Eurofighter Typhoon (UK and Italy) and F-2 (Japan).

The GCAP public-private joint headquarters is located in the UK. However, the first heads of government and corporate agencies will be Japanese and Italian, respectively. Defense companies participating in the development program include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan), BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Japan).

Fighter jet development is one of the most costly defense projects, requiring astronomical budgets over decades. The three defense ministers agreed to allocate development tasks proportionally based on each country’s financial and technological contributions under the principle of ‘equal partnership.’

The exact total project cost for GCAP has not been disclosed but is estimated to reach trillions of won. The UK government has invested ?2 billion (approximately 3.2 trillion KRW) in the existing Tempest program. The Japanese Ministry of Defense plans to request a budget allocation of 72.6 billion yen (approximately 60 billion KRW) for the GCAP project in the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget.

Japan to Join UK and Italy for Full-Scale Development in 2025

The three countries plan to finalize the 6th-generation fighter development concept and complete feasibility assessments, aiming to start full-scale development by 2025 at the latest. They plan to develop a fighter jet twice as fast as the Eurofighter Typhoon’s speed (2,495 km/h) and an airborne radar capable of providing 10,000 times more data. AI technology and drones, commonly cited features of 6th-generation fighters, are also expected to be showcased.

▲Europe Also Considering Joint Operation of Unmanned Swarms= In Europe, under Germany’s leadership, France and Spain are jointly developing the 6th-generation fighter ‘Future Combat Air System (FCAS).’ The FCAS plan, involving leading European aerospace and defense companies such as Dassault, Airbus, Indra Sistemas, and MTU, is scheduled for its first test flight in 2029 and initial deployment from 2040, replacing the Rafale and Eurofighter currently operated in Europe. Additionally, plans are being considered to develop existing unmanned aerial vehicles into unmanned combat vehicles and operate unmanned drone swarms jointly with FCAS as the mothership.

The United States, possessing the world’s strongest air force, announced the start of 6th-generation fighter development in May. Named the ‘Next Generation Air Dominance’ (NGAD) platform, this fighter will incorporate cutting-edge American technologies such as multi-channel radar, laser weapons, adaptive cycle engines, and AI-applied electronic systems to counter future threats from the Chinese air force. The US next-generation fighter is expected to replace the F-22 starting in 2030.