S.Korea would get F-35s with full combat capability -Pentagon

If South Korea decides to order Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets for delivery in 2017, the aircraft would come with the software needed to carry a full load of weapons, Lockheed and the Pentagon's F-35 program office said Thursday, refuting a claim made earlier this week by a Boeing consultant.
South Korea is expected to confirm in coming weeks that it needs radar-evading capabilities such as those offered by the F-35, after an acquisition task force last month rejected a bid to buy Boeing Co's F-15.
Boeing and its supporters are now pressing for a split buy of Boeing F-15s and Lockheed F-35s, arguing that South Korea would need the greater weapons-carrying capacity of the Boeing planes to counter a possible North Korean threat.
They say the F-15 is a proven aircraft that can carry more weapons at high speeds and over longer distances than the F-35, which could be critical in a war with the North.
South Korea has said it needs delivery of the first new fighter jets in 2017 so it can start replacing its aging current fleet of warplanes. To ensure delivery in 2017, Seoul would have to place initial orders of F-35 jets in the ninth batch of jets, which is expected to carry the 3F software.
The Pentagon hopes to award Lockheed a contract for advanced procurement of titanium and other materials for that ninth batch of jets by the end of this year.
reuters