Korea to buy 40 F-35 fighters

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Republic of Korea has decided to buy 40 F-35 fighter aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin. Korea finalized its formal selection of the conventional take off and landing variant, the F-35A, for its F-X fighter acquisition program. It intends to sign the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) between the U.S. and Korean governments with with initial deliveries beginning in 2018, the company said. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 09/24/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., trains F-35 pilots and maintainers from all U.S. branches, along with allied personnel.