Lockheed Martin and Korean Air have signed a strategic partnership framework, announced at the 2025 Seoul ADEX, to deepen their aerospace and defense collaboration. This alliance strategically combines Korean Air’s extensive depot-level maintenance expertise with Lockheed Martin’s role as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for critical U.S. defense assets like the F-16 fighter.
The core of the partnership involves exploring opportunities under the U.S. government’s Regional Sustainment Framework (RSF) initiative. A key objective is to expand their Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul & Upgrade (MROU) cooperation into third-country markets. This joint effort is designed to significantly enhance the defense readiness of both the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) by ensuring the timely sustainment of military aircraft, thereby strengthening the ROK-U.S. alliance.
For decades, Lockheed Martin has been a foundational supplier to South Korea’s defense, providing advanced platforms integral to its ‘Three-Axis System’ defense framework. These platforms include the F-35 and F-16 fighters, C-130J transport aircraft, Aegis combat systems, Patriot (PAC-3) missiles, and MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. This new partnership solidifies Lockheed Martin’s role as a strategic partner in bolstering combined airpower.
Korean Air brings over 40 years of proven experience in maintaining U.S. military aircraft. The airline has performed depot-level maintenance and upgrades on more than 3,700 U.S. military aircraft across the Indo-Pacific region, including the F-16, F-15, and various helicopters like the UH/HH-60 and CH-53. A notable ongoing project is the F-16 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for U.S. Forces Japan. By uniting these two leading aerospace companies, the collaboration aims to lead timely force readiness for the U.S. and its allies while elevating the global stature of Korea’s defense industry.
