KF-21 Development Complete...Export Prospects Remain Uncertain [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Air Force to Deploy Over 120 KF-21s by 2032, Replacing F-5 Fighters

Emergence of Export Markets: Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the Philippines

The Korean supersonic fighter jet KF-21 Boramae is set to enter full-scale mass production. This comes about 10 years after the project officially began system development in 2015, and the plan is to not only supply the first batch to the Korean military but also actively target the global defense export market.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will hold a "KF-21 (IF-X) System Development Completion Ceremony" on the 29th at the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) facility in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. This event marks the completion of prototype production and all flight tests, signaling the official start of mass production and export activities. Attendees will include officials from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and the Indonesian Embassy in Korea, the KF-21’s joint development partner.

The Air Force plans to begin deploying the KF-21 this year, retiring the F-5 fighters in the process. The roadmap calls for operational deployment of approximately 10 KF-21s this year, around 30 in 2028, 40 in 2030, and an additional 40 in 2032, for a total of about 120 aircraft. The batch produced this year will be the Block-I version. "Block" refers to upgrade versions of the fighter, where the numbering is generally based on modifications to the engine, avionics, or weapon integration capabilities. The plan is to complete the development of Block-II and deploy it in the field by 2028. Although the Air Force currently has only around 360 fighters, it anticipates this number will rise to about 400 by 2030 and around 440 by 2032.

Efforts are also underway to expand exports. However, much will depend on the ability to meet the demands of each country. Initially, the most likely export customer was Indonesia, the joint development partner. Indonesia was to cover 20% of development costs—amounting to 1.6 trillion won—in exchange for receiving prototypes and technology transfers, with plans to produce 48 KF-21s domestically. However, due to prolonged delays in payments, the two countries agreed last year to reduce Indonesia’s share to 600 billion won and also scaled back the scope of technology transfer. More recently, Indonesia has cited a struggling economy and failed to secure a budget, ultimately forfeiting domestic production and shifting policy toward direct purchase.

The Philippines is already operating 24 FA-50 light attack aircraft made in Korea and has a positive outlook on acquiring additional Korean-made fighter jets. The country also has established systems for pilot training, maintenance, and military logistics support. However, the Department of National Defense in the Philippines is currently running a program for Multi-Role Fighters (MRF) while also considering airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft and aerial refueling planes. This means competition is likely to intensify with the United States and others, who are recommending package purchases of air power assets.

Saudi Arabia is seeking to purchase the largest number of fighter aircraft. To date, Saudi Arabia has not secured a partner for jointly developing a sixth-generation fighter. As a result, it is seeking a platform based on the KF-21 but upgraded to Block-3 level, which would qualify as a fifth-generation stealth fighter or higher. However, there is a high likelihood that Saudi Arabia may not even enter formal negotiations if those requirements cannot be met.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.