Lockheed Martin Korea

Lockheed Martin has been a trusted partner to the Republic of Korea for more than 70+ years in national defense and industrial cooperation.

Our expertise has helped the Republic of Korea with integration for major defense and civil programs to address national priorities, including: stronger Korean national defenses, modernized air traffic control and new space and telecommunications opportunities.

We work closely with the Republic of Korea military and Korean industry to meet the country’s mission-critical requirements through the wide array of programs you see below.

The CH-53K®: A Multi-Role Special Operations Force Multiplier

The most powerful, most advanced production helicopter in operation today, the CH-53K delivers the versatility, speed, and range Special Operations missions demand. Special Operations forces can maintain superiority in the next-generation battlespace, thanks to the CH-53K’s industry-leading power, mission equipment and full authority fly-by-wire flight controls.

Built to thrive on the modern battlefield, the CH-53K aircraft is designed to be intelligent, reliable, low maintenance and survivable in the most austere and remote forward operating bases.

Here’s how the CH-53K outperforms the competition:

Unmatched Versatility: Enables full range of military operations – special operations, troop insertion & extraction, air assault, and air logistics.

Range: Travels long distances and in environmental extremes with triple the cargo of the legacy aircraft it replaces and double its nearest competitor.

All-Environment Performance: Retains its performance in high, hot, low visibility, and sea-based environments.

Designed to Stay Ahead of Evolving Threats: Digital design and fly by wire flight controls provide a path to autonomy, optionally piloted vehicles and crewed / uncrewed teaming.

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Programs and Capabilities ___

F-35 Lightning II

Since joining the program in 2014 as a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) customer, the Republic of Korea has taken delivery of 40 F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft and signed a letter of offer and acceptance for an additional 20 F-35As in 2023. Lockheed Martin is proud of the enduring partnership with the Republic of Korea and looks to the future for many more decades of security.

T-50 Golden Eagle

The T-50 advanced trainer and FA-50 light attack fighter are fast jet aircraft jointly developed by Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). These aircraft provide both advanced pilot training and light combat support for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and allied forces. To date, more than 220 aircraft have been produced, accumulating over 336,000 flight hours while maintaining an 85% availability rate. Building on this proven record, the TF-50 variant offers modernized capabilities and greater mission flexibility for both training and light combat operations. Equipped with an embedded training system, helmet-mounted display (HMD), Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, datalink capability, and an advanced weapons suite, the TF-50 delivers a reliable and cost-effective platform poised to succeed in whatever mission is required any given day.

C-130 Hercules

Republic of Korea Air Force crews exemplify the unmatched versatility, reliability and interoperability found only in the C-130 Hercules. Today, the ROKAF operates a mixed-fleet of C-130H and C-130J-30 Super Hercules airlifters in support of challenging and complex tactical airlift missions. From multi-national military operations to delivering aid in humanitarian and natural disaster relief situations, the ROKAF’s C-130s are national assets, regional resources, and worldwide workhorses. Proven in every challenging operational environment, the aircraft’s versatility and its structural durability is the standard for reliability, safety, and excellence. It is truly built to deliver and built to last.

MH-60R

The MH-60R is the most capable and proven multi-mission maritime helicopter operating in the world today. Its fully integrated mission sensors prioritize information into actionable knowledge. This enables aircrews and commanders to make the best tactical decisions in today’s fast-moving, complex warfare environment: keeping the Republic of Korea safe now and far into the future.

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S-92 South Korea

Coast Guard

The South Korea Coast Guard operates two S-92® helicopter for critical life-saving missions. To date, the Korea Coast Guard has flown about 1,000 hours, saving more than 30 lives utilizing the S-92 helicopter for search and rescue and emergency medical transport missions. For their lifesaving achievements, Sikorsky presented the Winged-S Rescue award to members of the South Korea Coast Guard in March 2017.

Black Hawk

The Black Hawk provides combat assault and utility helicopter for missions such as troop transport and combat assault, medical evacuation, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, and close air support of ground troops. The UH-60P Black Hawk – which is based on the UH-60L with some modifications – is the variant for the South Korea Army. Around 150 were produced under license by Korean Air.

KDX-III Aegis Destroyer

Aegis will join the next three KDX-III Sejong the Great Class destroyers, a multi-purpose destroyer with air and land defense and anti-submarine capabilities. Aegis is aboard three KDX-III destroyers: RoK Sejong the Great, RoK Yulgok Yi I and RoK Seoae Ryu Sungryong, which are the largest surface warfare ships to carry Aegis. The Republic of Korea joined the international Aegis fleet in 2008, when the navy commissioned the first ship of the class, Sejong the Great.

PAC-3

The Republic of Korea Air Force is upgrading their Patriot missile system to the more advanced PAC-3 missile interceptor, allowing ROKAF to defend against ballistic missiles carrying weapons of mass destruction using Hit-to-Kill technology. The Republic of Korea signed a Letter of Acceptance on March 13, 2015.

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F-16 Fighting Falcon

The F-16 is a strategic and valuable choice for many customers around the world seeking advanced, 4th generation fighter aircraft capabilities, regional and worldwide partnerships and affordable lifecycle costs. The KF-16 has served the Republic of Korea for more than 30 years, and now, with approximately 500 F-16s operating in the Asia Pacific region, the F-16 plays a critical role in supporting regional security and stability. In fact, a significant portion of those 500 F-16s in the region are Korean, and many of those are being upgraded to the advanced “Viper” configuration, which includes new radars, avionics, cockpit updates, weapons and more. The F-16 has fostered deep partnerships between the U.S., the Republic of Korea, and allies around the world. The F-16 has flown an estimated 19.5 million flight hours and more than 13 million sorties worldwide – a testament to its proven performance and mission success. With more than 3,100 F-16s operating today across the globe – including the Republic of Korea – it remains a critical piece of the joint battlespace and enables peace through strength.

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Industrial Partnership

Lockheed Martin highly values its long-standing relationship with the Republic of Korea and Korean industry partners. Just a few examples of this partnership include:

Lockheed Martin and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) have co-produced the F-16 for more than 20 years – as well as the T-50 Golden Eagle.
We’ve partnered with Samsung Data Systems to modernize Korea’s air traffic management system with the Korean Area Control Center (kAA).
Through a partnership with Korea Telecom, we’ve also successfully produced several communication satellites.

in The News ___

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Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract to Implement Software Upgrade for F-16 Flight Training in the Republic of Korea

Sep 16, 2025

Press Release

Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract to Implement Software Upgrade for F-16 Flight Training in the Republic of Korea

Flight Simulators to Reflect Advanced Features of the F-16 Viper “V” Upgrade.