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ST. LOUIS (BNS): Boeing has received a contract worth US$300 million for the upkeep of South Korean Air Force's fleet of F-15K fighter jets.

The Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract, awarded by S Korea's Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), will ensure long-term, affordable sustainment of Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) fleet of F-15K fighters.

The five-year contract also brings new opportunities to local industry, Boeing said. Korean firm Hyundai Glovis will provide in-country logistics handling and supply chain distribution activities under the programme.

The PBL contract will ensure the F-15K remains operationally ready to protect the Republic of Korea for years to come while managing overall life-cycle cost and providing new opportunities for Korean industry, said Jim O'Neill, vice president and general manager, Boeing Integrated Logistics.

The F-15K -- an advanced variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle all-weather ground attack strike fighter -- is being delivered to South Korea by Boeing under a $2.3 billion deal signed in 2008.

South Korea will acquire a total of 21 such fighters under the second phase of its fighter modernisation programme.

The ROKAF has already received 40 F-15K fighters under the first phase of its fighter modernisation programme.