South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae Takes To the Air

Meet the KAI KF-21, a newly built South Korean fighter jet. This aircraft is being developed in collaboration with Indonesia, with the goal of developing a sophisticated multirole fighter.

It passed the major millstone of testing yesterday when it took its first flight from the production factory. The airframe is stealthier than any fourth-generation fighter, but unlike fifth-generation fighters, it does not carry weapons in internal bays, though internal bays may be added later in development.

The initiative is led by the South Korean government, which owns 60% of the company. In 2010, Indonesia acquired a 20% ownership in the programme, with the remaining 20% held by private partners like as the manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Following the FA-50, the KAI KF-X is South Korea’s second homegrown fighter jet development programme.

The first prototype was constructed and launched in April 2021 during a rollout event at KAI’s headquarters near Sacheon Airport. It was given the formal name Boramae. The first test flight was place on July 19, 2022, with manufacture set to commence in 2026.

At least 40 aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2028, with South Korea aiming to deploy 120 by 2032. It will also be offered on the international market. KAI is building six flying prototypes, the last two of which will be two-seaters. The basic flying characteristics of the aircraft were validated during the first flight.

The Northrop F-5 and leftover F-4 Phantoms will be replaced by the KF-21 in ROKAF service. Its initial capacity will most likely be limited to air-to-air duties, for which the MBDA Meteor is the principal weapon. On the initial flight, four mockups of the missile were carried in the semi-recessed under-fuselage bays of the KF-21.