KF-21 Development Completed... First Production Unit to Roll Out This Year

Delivery of Initial Batch of 40 Units to Air Force by 2028

The domestic fighter jet KF-21 Boramae has been fully developed, marking the completion of the project approximately 10 years and 7 months after the start of the system development program. With the KF-21, South Korea has become the eighth country in the world to develop its own advanced 4.5-generation or higher supersonic fighter jet.

On the 29th, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the development of South Korea’s first domestically built fighter jet, the KF-21 Boramae, has been fully completed.

Launched after the declaration by President Kim Dae-jung in August 2001 to pursue the development of a domestically produced advanced fighter jet, the KF-21 program began system development in December 2015. The first prototype of the KF-21 rolled out in April 2021, followed by the rollout of the first mass production aircraft in March this year. In May 2026, the KF-21 successfully earned the 'combat suitability' certification, the final hurdle in fighter system development, overcoming numerous challenges along the way.

On the 13th, a domestically produced supersonic fighter jet KF-21 prototype took off powerfully from the Air Force 3rd Training Flight Group in Sacheon, Gyeongnam. 2026.05.13. Photo by Joint Press Corps

A total of six KF-21 prototypes were produced, and over the past 42 months, they set a remarkable record by completing over 1,600 highly complex test flights with zero accidents. Such a flawless achievement is extremely rare even by global fighter jet development standards.

DAPA officially declared the end of KF-21 development on this day and announced plans to deliver the first mass-produced aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force in September this year. The KF-21, a 4.5-generation fighter equipped with an integrated electronic warfare system, is capable of reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.81 (2,200 km/h), has a range of 2,900 km, and can carry up to 7.7 tons of armaments. It was uniquely designed with future stealth upgrades in mind.

DAPA aims to deliver 40 initial production KF-21 units, focused on air-to-air combat capabilities, to the Air Force by 2028. In the mid-to-long term, the plan is to produce an additional 80 units with enhanced air-to-ground and anti-ship capabilities by 2032, bringing the total to 120 aircraft deployed. The KF-21 will serve as a replacement for the retired F-4 and the F-5, which is set to retire next year, strengthening South Korea’s air combat capability.

On this day, DAPA held a ceremony at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, commemorating the conclusion of the 'KF-21/IF-X (the Indonesian variant) system development,' attended by key government officials, project partners, companies, and representatives from Indonesia's Ministry of Defense, South Korea’s joint development partner.

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