Australia is one of the two countries chosen by the United States to guarantee precisely this "specific inspection" for the F-35 deployed in the Pacific region. Something obviously not appreciated by South Korea.
The decision was made by the Pentagon a few hours ago. Japan will guarantee heavy maintenance of JSFs in the North Pacific starting with the 2018. Australia, on the other hand, will guarantee the "Hmv" in the South Pacific, at the RAAF bases in Amberley and Williamtown. The two maintenance centers will guarantee technical support in the Pacific and Asia.
Australia, Japan and South Korea are the only countries in the region to have ordered the F-35. The maintenance plan, however, has rekindled the historic rivalry between Seoul and Tokyo.
South Korea, which will receive the first F-35 in the 2018, has clearly stated that it will never send a single fighter to Japan and that it would certainly have opted for Australian bases. Translated it would mean that South Korean fighters, to carry out the planned heavy maintenance, will have to fly at a distance eight times greater than that required to reach Japan, well beyond the JSF range.
South Korea - answered by the Seoul government - has the right to decide where to maintain its F-35 and decide according to its needs. In addition to political positions, there are billions of dollars (already planned) in maintenance.
South Korea could, at a later stage, negotiate with Washington to get the capacity to handle the heavy maintenance of its F-35. This agreement, however, would require a significant investment from Seoul, including the expense for specific equipment for fifth-generation fighters. Heavy maintenance for F-35 is scheduled five years after the fighters are delivered. US officials, however, have hinted to review maintenance allocations every two to three years: this will give the program member countries the opportunity to benefit from the billion-dollar JSF-related market. In addition to the American "Hubs", the countries chosen for the heavy maintenance of the F-35 are Italy and Turkey.
Franco Iacch
(photo: Lockheed Martin)
