Korean Air and European aerospace giant Airbus have signed an agreement to jointly bid for an $8 billion jet fighter project, an airline spokesman said on Sunday, pitting them against a team comprised of Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries. The project is designed to develop and produce 120 fighter jets of a new "indigenous" type to replace the country's ageing fleet of F-4s and F-5s. One of the conditions of the bid is that local enterprises tie up with foreign companies to secure technological assistance, according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency. The pair will compete with Korea Aerospace Industries, which has teamed up with the U.S.'s Lockheed Martin. South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration plans to announce the winner in July. The Korean Air/Airbus alliance would have to present a totally new design as the Eurofighter Typhoon's delta wings do not fit South Korea's specifications, an analyst said.
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