Lockheed Martin has expressed confidence in its ability to supply its F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to South Korea on time and on budget should Seoul select the platform to meet the third phase of the country's next-generation (FX) fighter aircraft requirement. Under FX-III, the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) is expected to procure 40 to 60 aircraft to replace its ageing McDonnell Douglas F-4s and Northrop F-5s. The acquisition has an estimated value of up to USD6.5 billion and is expected to be formally launched later this year. Seoul has indicated that it wants the selected platform to be delivered from around 2016. That is a schedule that Lockheed Martin believes it can achieve, despite increasing pressures on the F-35 development programme.
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