Indonesia is to participate in South Korea's KF-X program to develop a new jet fighter by the year 2025, South Korean newspapers report.

Korea Aerospace Industries, chosen by the government as prime contractor for the fighter program, signed a preliminary contract Sunday with the Indonesian government through which Jakarta would provide 20 percent – about $1.5 billion -- of the project's cost, The Korea Herald reported.

A separate contract was signed with state-run PT Dirgantara Indonesia for participation in the design of the plane and component production, the Korea Times said.

"All the specifics have been agreed upon with the Indonesian side, regarding the KF-X development," Jang Sung-sub, director of KAI, told The Korean Herald.

The KF-X project, or Korean Fighter Experimental program, is to develop a multi-role combat plane to replace South Korea's F-4 and F-5 aircraft. Seoul plans to purchase 120 of the jets and also sell them on the international market.

Under the new deal, Indonesia will be able to acquire 50 of the new planes. Technology would also be transferred to Indonesia.

Airbus DS demos C297W transport in Bolivia
Toulouse, France (UPI) Nov 23, 2015 - Airbus Defense and Space and the Mexican Navy have been demonstrating the capabilities of the company's C295W transport plane to Bolivian military authorities.

The demonstration flights, part of a regional tour of the aircraft, were conducted from El Alto International Airport in La Paz -- elevation about 13,123 feet above sea level -- at a military base elsewhere and an from unprepared runway.

"The highly successful demonstration by the C295W in Bolivia this week underlines again its excellent performance in hot and high conditions, which is key for several countries in the region," said Christophe Roux, Head of Airbus Defense and Space in Latin America. "It demonstrates once more the C295W's status as the most efficient aircraft in its category."

The C295W is a twin turboprop tactical military transport that can carry a payload of 20,400 pounds. It has a cruise speed of 300 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet.

The "W" variant is equipped with winglets, which allow transport of more payload over larger distances in hot and high conditions.

The Mexican Navy aircraft by Airbus Defense and Space will visit several other countries in the region before returning to Mexico next month.