The United States has told South Korea that it cannot accept South Korea′s request for the transfer of four core technologies crucial to Korea′s indigenous fighter jet development project.
Despite the setback，... the South Korean military says there are other ways to develop the necessary technology.
Kim Hyun－bin reports.
Korea′s Defense Minister Han Min－koo held talks with his U.S. counterpart Ashton Carter at the Pentagon on Thursday local time… and asked him to reconsider Seoul′s request of four key technology transfers.
Han is in Washington accompanying President Park Geun－hye on her official visit to the U.S.
Carter said it will be difficult to grant Seoul′s request but that the two countries can explore ways to increase technological cooperation.
The two defense chiefs agreed to establish a consultative forum to discuss ways to increase cooperation in defense technology， including the KF－X project.
Among the four technologies，... the AESA multi－purpose radar and RF－jammers used to disrupt or prevent communication via a broadcasted RF signal， have never been transferred outside of the U.S.
The four technologies are critical to the KF－X project， which aims to produce 120 fighter jets to replace South Korea′s aging fleet of F－4， and F－5′s.
South Korean military says they have an alternative and emphasized that Korea is capable of developing the AESA radar by the year 2021… and the other three technologies by mid－2020.
Kim Hyun－bin， Arirang News.
