"The F-35A will not only deliver tremendous capability to ROK [the Republic of Korea], it also reinforces our alliance and further strengthens our defense relationship," US Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord said.
Speaking of the "iron clad" US-ROK alliance, she described the presentation ceremony as "one example of how the unity and cooperation between our two great nations will continue for years to come."
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She was echoed by South Korean Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Seong-Yong Lee, who emphasized that the fifth-generation F-35A warplanes' deployment to South Korea will "enhance the ROK and USAF interoperability" and adds further to "the iron clad ROK-US alliance."
According to him, the South Korean Air Force needs the F-35A "to be manufactured on schedule" and "our pilots, maintainers and support staff to be trained on time."
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Earlier it was reported that South Korea could purchase a total of 60 F-35As, with 40 such aircraft expected to be delivered to South Korea by 2021.
The deployment of the first F-35As to South Korea's main operational base at Cheongju is scheduled for 2019.
Earlier this week, Trump announced his decision to meet Kim Jong-un before the end of May, with the White House yet to define the details of the meeting, including a date, time and location.
