[2026 National Assembly Audit] Air Force to Field Sixth-Generation Fighters in the 2050s

Parliamentary audit briefing: "KF-21s to be fielded starting this year"

The Air Force said it plans to field fighter-collaborative unmanned aircraft in the early 2030s. It also plans to develop a sixth-generation-class next-generation fighter after the 2050s.

At a parliamentary audit of the Air Force by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, held at Gyeryongdae on October 20, the Air Force said, "We plan to field electronic warfare mission aircraft with close-in electronic warfare capabilities by the mid-2030s, fifth-generation-class Korean low-observable fighters by the mid-to-late 2030s, and sixth-generation-class next-generation fighters after the 2050s."

The Air Force said it plans to field 40 KF-21 Boramae fighters in the initial production batch from this year through 2028, replacing aging and long-serving fighters such as the F-4 and F-5. It plans to field the follow-on production batch, expected to total 80 aircraft, in stages from 2029 through 2032.

On the 13th, the production site for the KF-21, South Korea's domestically developed supersonic fighter, was opened to the public at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. The second mass-production aircraft, which has rolled off the production line, and a multipurpose drone demonstrator are on display. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The Air Force added that it is working to acquire fighter-collaborative unmanned aircraft, which will carry out missions in coordination with fighter jets, in the early 2030s, and fighter-collaborative unmanned combat aircraft, capable of operating in formation with fighter jets or on their own, in the mid-to-late 2030s. It also said it is developing core technologies for low-observable unmanned aircraft that can fly in formation to build up the necessary expertise.

In connection with investment in the development of a semiconductor cluster in the Honam region, the Air Force plans to disperse aircraft assets currently stationed at Gwangju Military Air Base, including T-50 advanced trainers and TA-50 light attack aircraft, to Yecheon and Seosan bases.

The 1st Fighter Wing, which trains fighter pilots, is based at Gwangju Military Air Base. It has three subordinate squadrons: the 189th and 216th Flying Training Squadrons, which operate T-50 advanced trainers, and the 206th Fighter Squadron, which operates TA-50 light attack aircraft equipped with weapons.

Under the Air Force's temporary deployment plan, two squadrons operating T-50 advanced trainers, the 189th and 216th Flying Training Squadrons, will move to Yecheon Air Base, home of the 16th Fighter Wing. The plan is to consolidate the T-50 advanced trainers at one location and temporarily assign Yecheon Air Base the role of providing advanced flight training for fighter pilots.

The 206th Fighter Squadron, under the 1st Fighter Wing and operating TA-50 light attack aircraft, will move to Seosan Air Base, while the 115th Fighter Squadron, a TA-50 squadron currently based at Yecheon, will relocate to Jungwon Air Base in Chungju. As a result, the Lead-In Fighter Training (LIFT) course, in which pilots use the TA-50 to hone combat skills such as air-to-air and air-to-ground gunnery, will be conducted at Seosan and Jungwon bases.

The Air Force included 316.9 billion won in its 2027 budget proposal to provide housing for personnel temporarily redeployed, secure temporary facilities and equipment for operations, and ensure suitable conditions for flight training. The Air Force said it would minimize the impact of the temporary redeployment on pilot training by optimizing flight instruction, while maintaining its readiness through measures including strengthening emergency standby capabilities in the southwest, expanding aerial training, and building up its forces.

The temporary deployment from Gwangju Air Base was initially scheduled to continue until mid-2028. However, it could proceed more quickly after President Lee Jae-myung ordered a review on September 29 to see whether the timeline could be brought forward. If the relocation of Gwangju Military Air Base to Muan is finalized and a new military air base is built there, the three squadrons currently dispersed from Gwangju Air Base are expected to regroup at Muan Military Air Base.

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