Is it my eyes or is that a cross on the hospital ship?

Gripen RCS is 1m but KFX RCS is 0.1m while F35 rcs is 0.05-0.01 m.
Shape is the main factor to reduce RCS.
Gripen is still using conventional shape but KFX is not.
Looking at KFX roadmap, The initial block KFX doesnt have weapon internal bay (WIB) because Indonesia requirement for long range jet that need bigger fuel tank which make the rcs still big for 5th gen fighter.
Looking at the roadmap, KFX next block will have WIB which will reduced the rcs further but could reduced the operational range.

Anyway you yourself said that F35 required a FA18 to support it, and the KFX is basically SK version of FA18

Personally seeing how KFX being a boxy looking jet doesn't guranteed stealth performance, i doubt any others jet would be as good as the American made one. no other single country can force the world to buy 3000 of the same jet to make the trillions of dollar R&D worthwhile.
It just cold war economy really. If everyone get the same weapon from the same factory, a single exploit would render all the Allies defense useless.

During the last cold war UK decentralized the fighter production facilities to Canada & Australia. And they do design & manufacturer their own fighters.

Currently TW/SK/JP are license manufacturer of US jet. So now they upgraded themselves to be able to design it as well.

It maybe a white elephant now. but Canada manage to make a business out of their earlier jet know-how and manage to build a A330 alternative.

So It basically an investment for the future, not to mention Japan themselves are also hiring Lockheed for their X2.

ID too are quite active in it's license manufacturing activities. While SG has been very active in design phase by sending their engineer to sweeden & Germany to custom built their own submarines & ships.

thought the reason for the lack of weapon internal bay is because US doesn't agree to transfer the technology needed for internal targeting pod & fire control system?
without those the KFX would not be able to reduce the RCS & remain a glorified legacy hornet at twice the price of advance super hornet.

this jet too can only be sold to country that themselves can bought american or european jet. so the possibilities of block 2 or 3 being finance by foreign sales is rather limited.
so the whole picture of carrier base kfx are just KAI way of trying to suck more of korean taxes payer money
so ID was quite correct in ditching it and go for the rafale.

Indonesia to Send Back Engineers to South Korea for KF-X Participation

Our Bureau
06:20 PM, April 28, 2021

Indonesia is likely to send back its engineers to South Korea for participation in the KF-X fighter jet project in a sign that the two countries are close to an agreement on the former re-joining the program.

Indonesia has asked Seoul to help its engineers “catch up with the technological progress made while they were away back home over coronavirus concerns,” the defense ministry said Wednesday, according to Yonhap News.

Indonesia is a partner for South Korea's 8.8 trillion won (US$7.9 billion) project to develop its first a 4.5 generation fighter jet, though Jakarta has stopped making milestone payments to shoulder 20 percent of the total development cost.

Indonesian engineers working alongside those of Korea Aerospace Industries returned home in March 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. South Korean engineers continued with the development and unveiled the jet's first prototype earlier this month.

Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to the project during its Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto's visit to South Korea to attend the KF-X jet’s rollout ceremony. South Korean officials had then asserted Prabowo had agreed to get back into the project and ordered working-group level discussions.

"Indonesia welcomed proposals made by South Korea to boost the two countries' defense cooperation and expressed hope for South Korea's support to help Indonesian officials catch up with the technology gap in the KF-21/IF-X joint development project," the ministry said a report to the parliament.

so ID was quite correct in ditching it and go for the rafale.

Korea Aerospace is assembling 5 prototypes of KF-21 Fighter Jet
Our Bureau12:23 PM, June 12, 20212493

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is assembling five more prototypes of its KF-21 fighter jet after the first prototype was rolled-out on April 9.

The first prototype is currently in the building opposite the assembly line, where its insides are exposed for ground testing which will take another year or so, a report in South Korean media outlet Hankyoreh which was granted access to the assembly line, said.

Of the five prototypes on the assembly line, the second prototype is currently being tested to check whether missiles can be loaded properly.                                                                                   

Korea Aerospace is assembling 5 prototypes of KF-21 Fighter Jet
This ground reportage from the KF-21 facility of KAI should put at rest speculation regarding delays in the KF-21 project triggered by reports that the first prototype had been partly dis-assembled.

The first flight test is scheduled for 2022, with the entire development process set to be completed by 2026. As per a deal with Indonesia, South Korea is to hand over one prototype and technology to Jakarta to manufacture the aircraft in Indonesia.

The South Korean Air Force plans to induct 40 KF-21 units by 2028 and another 80 units by 2032.

KF-21 copied F-22 design hoping for proven low RCS minus the stealth materials while enjoying physical aerodynamic if not similar to F-22 but at least somewhere there. Problem with custom built fighter is there's no guarantee on after sales from Lockheed Martin, more of Hyundai frame with stamping machine from Mitsubishi powered by older MMC Sirius engine in older days.

Lockheed Martin and US policy won't build aircraft better than their own, always inferior in terms of avionics and performance. License assembly plant manufacturers only for SK, JP, TW if they bought US fighters in large numbers exceeding 100. Parts especially technical & materials with ready made components are brought in from US for assembly only. SK, JP, TW don't really own any of it.

ID still a partner in KFX...
A very busy day for them in the coming years...
Let"s see if ID plan getting F-15EX is on the news
https://www.defenseworld.net/news/29797/Kor..._21_Fighter_Jet

13/06/2021 11:41 

36 Rafale for Indonesia

After Qatar, Egypt, India, Greece and Croatia, Indonesia signs letter of intent to acquire Dassault Aviation aircraft

Compensation

According to local sources, Indonesia's initial contract for the purchase of 36 new Rafales was signed on June 7 during a visit by Florence Parly, which was prepared in the greatest secrecy.

This contract would take effect next December because several details are still to be settled. Article 43 of the law on the defense industry, adopted in 2012 ("Undang Nomor 16 Tahun 2012 tentang INDUSTRI PERTAHANAN") imposes IDKLO rules (countertrade, local content and offset), namely in particular the calculation of a compensation, and the integration of local components into any foreign product acquired to meet the needs of the security and defense forces.

Secret negotiations

During his visit to Paris last October, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto made clear to his French counterparts his government's interest in the Rafale. Last February, a Dassault delegation traveled to Indonesia to review the terms of the deal with the defense ministry. The press then mentioned the purchase of 48 Rafale.

According to some reports, the Indonesian leaders have decided to buy "only" 36 Rafale, to supplement them with second-hand F-15s by 2024 as compensation so as not to upset the Pentagon. The financial package would be similar to that proposed to Egypt, namely a loan guaranteed for 80% of the total amount of the contract.

Last week, all the industrialists of the "Rafale Team" were still holding their breath. Indeed, while the technical and financial offer had been handed over to the Indonesian government, the United States Embassy had just launched an unprecedented lobbying offensive to block the decision of Jakarta. And this in order to allow Lockheed to make an economically more attractive offer in favor of its F-16 block 72.

However, as long as the first deposit is not paid, Washington, already in difficulty on the contract for the acquisition of future Swiss combat aircraft, will not miss any opportunity to regain the initiative.

However, as long as the first deposit is not paid, Washington, already in difficulty on the contract for the acquisition of future Swiss combat aircraft, will not miss any opportunity to regain the initiative.

What does this mean?
US acquiring Griffon?

Swiss leaning toward Rafale jet purchase: report

Swiss order will replace the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D Hornets and the remaining Northrop F-5E/F Tigers

By DAVE MAKICHUK
JUNE 9, 2021

After securing major contracts in Greece, Croatia, India and Egypt, French aeronautics firm Dassault Aviation is close to inking a major deal with Switzerland for the Rafale fighter jet, according to local media reports.

The Air 2030 tender for the Swiss Air Force was launched in 2020 following the positive outcome of a referendum on whether Switzerland should acquire new fighter jets.

According to AerotimeHub, 50.1% of voters have voted “yes” to the procurement estimated at 6 billion Swiss francs (roughly US$7 billion). The acquisition would concern 30 to 40 aircraft to be delivered by 2025.

The choice of the model of the new combat aircraft by the Federal Council could be made before the end of June 2021. If Switzerland was to pick the Rafale, it would mark yet another success for the French fighter jet.

The Rafale is still competing in Finland and is also being considered by Ukraine and Indonesia.

The Swiss order aims to replace the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C/D Hornets and the few remaining Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II antiques that are still assigned to secondary tasks.

The main purpose of the upcoming multi-role fighter jet will be to carry out air policing missions.

Four contenders are currently in the race: the Dassault Rafale, the Lockheed Martin F-35, the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, and the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Saab Gripen E/F was excluded as it will not be operational before 2023.

They trying to immitate our rojak air Force is it?

Lockheed Martin is so hopeful that TNI-AU will buy F-16 Block 72, they already have a dedicated page on it

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/produc...-indonesia.html

Yes but unfortunately according to sources the F-16V is not in the MoD list of defense procurement until 2024. Only the Rafale and F-15 are in the list.

Rafale is better....with low RCS airframe, SPECTRA and long-ranged Meteor. Already has AESA radar too.

Unconfirmed report they are looking at the newest Rafale F4 variant.

They are worse....
COIN - Tucano
FLIT/LIFT - TA-50/hawk
MRCA- F16,Rafale+KFX (on plan)
Heavy fighter - Su27/30 and F15 (on plan)

They been doing a good job for the last few years reducing their logistical footprint with the tucano/ta50& F16.

Suddenly they going rojak again.
Our aero tiga trainer would be expiring soon right?
Maybe we should take a look at the tucano as well.

I don't think RMAF need any Tucano. MY doesnt have potential insurgency threat.
Hawk or new LCA with ground attack capability good enough against those Sulu.

RMAF should go with Pilatus series for basic trainer.

SK intention to ditch US for a 'independent' foreign policies is not really a secret. So of course US won't give them the full package. Not to mention as you yourself said, they aren't know for having great ethics and thus those technology can falls into chinese hand easily.

Though US probably won't have a problem transferring technology that the chinese can master. So unless the Chinese has internal targeting pod & their carrier  have electromagnetic launcher, doubt US would transfer those tech to SK. Only for SK to sell it to the chinese.

They have been very vocals about the non cooperative of US in transferring those 5th gen technology so they can ditch them, on top of the usual bitching about US & UK limiting their jet sales potential. They also dragging their feet Not wanting to join the quad or any other regional alliances.

They are overplaying their hands really. As it is I see SK are having a good time economically & thus behaving in a very langsi way just as JP was in the 90s. They forget whose their master is and are so going to get a beating soon. So it's quite an opportunity for new up & comers to wrestle the techs leadership away from SK, under US blessings off cause.