Korea: March 26, 2002

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South Korea has spent 14 years trying to select a replacement for their 1960s vintage F-4 and F-5 fighters. The competition has come down to the 1980s era US F-15 and the 1990s French Rafale. Although the Rafale is technically using more advanced technology, the F-15 has been used in combat, while the Rafale has not. Moreover, the recent revelation that, after selling warships to Taiwan, France passed Taiwanese military secrets on to China in order to obtain an arms sale.