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An Air Force fighter jet, which was introduced for about 40 years, crashed into the West Sea during a flight today (12th).

The pilots made an emergency escape and are currently receiving treatment.

Earlier this year, an old fighter jet of the Air Force crashed and the pilot died, but these fighters have to be ridden for three more years.



Defense reporter Kim Tae-hoon pointed it out.



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This morning, an F-4E fighter belonging to the 10th Fighter Wing of the Air Force took off from Suwon Base, Gyeonggi-do.



On the way back from the mission, the engine suddenly caught fire and the nose turned to an area where there was no private house.



Two pilots made an emergency escape from the sea 9 km south of Jeongok Port in Hwaseong, and the fighter crashed into the sea.



The pilots were rescued and treated, the Air Force said.



Seven months after the crash of an F-5E fighter in January, an old fighter jet crashed again.



It is the sixth crash since 2000, even for an F-4 aircraft alone.



The Air Force halted all F-4 flights until the cause of the accident was determined, and other aircraft also canceled flight plans except for reconnaissance and emergency standby forces.



Currently, the Air Force has about 20 F-4s, and including F-5s, there are more than 100.



All of them are about 40 years old, but they are scheduled to be operated until 2024 through life extension measures.



The replacement fighter is the Korean supersonic fighter KF-21, and even if development proceeds without any setbacks, it can only be expected to be deployed after 2026.



[Lee Wang-geun/Former Air Force Chief of Staff: In order to maintain an appropriate level of power in order to respond to the main enemy and surrounding threat forces, it is difficult to collectively eliminate (of old fighters), and secure repair parts and perform maintenance until the KF-21 is deployed. while strengthening...

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For this reason, the Air Force is speeding up the introduction of the stealth fighter F-35A and the domestic light attack aircraft FA-50, but it is expected to be difficult to introduce within one to two years due to problems such as procedures, budget, and production conditions.



(Video coverage: Han Il-sang, video editing: Jeong Seong-hoon)