As part of the development program for the new KF-21 Boramae fighter jet of the South Korean Air Force, Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to the joint development of the future combat aircraft, despite a history of ups and downs. This was revealed after a meeting between officials from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Defense, which also covered discussions on advancing other bilateral defense cooperation projects.
The KAI KF-21 program has faced fluctuations over the years, largely due to Indonesia’s inconsistent participation, which has been questioned on several occasions. To understand the situation better, it is important to review the timeline of events. In 2016, South Korea and Indonesia launched the joint program to develop a next-generation supersonic fighter jet based on Korean technology for key components. At the time, Jakarta committed to investing $958 million or 20% of the total cost in exchange for receiving a prototype of the fighter and technical support for the production of 48 units. However, these commitments were not met within the stipulated deadlines and schedules.
Over the years, financial and economic constraints led Indonesia to halt payments from 2019 until the end of 2022, when the country made a partial payment of $6.3 million toward the program’s costs. However, in 2023, DAPA reported that Indonesia had not submitted a payment plan to continue its participation in the KAI KF-21 Boramae program. The Southeast Asian nation cited “financial limitations” while also pursuing the acquisition of F-15EX fighters or French Dassault Rafale jets. Additionally, Indonesia’s defense ministry sought to renegotiate the contract terms for the KF-21.
By 2024, the Indonesian company involved, known as Jakarta, proposed reducing its payment commitment from 20% to a total contribution of 600 billion won ($442.3 million). This reduction would mean less technology transfer from South Korea to Indonesian firms. However, despite DAPA stating in May 2024 that it was willing to accept the reduction without delaying the program, no favorable verdict has yet been reached for the Southeast Asian country.
Another issue that emerged in 2024 was the investigation of a group of Indonesian engineers accused of leaking technology related to the aircraft’s development. Nonetheless, DAPA emphasized that the financial adjustments were not related to the data breach.
Given this context, the recent meeting in Jakarta between Seok Jong-gun, a representative from DAPA, and Indonesian defense officials was seen as an opportunity to normalize bilateral defense cooperation, which had been slightly affected. Seok stated, “As the first high-level meeting since the investigation into the Indonesian engineers, the talks served as an opportunity to normalize bilateral defense cooperation, which had been slightly affected.” Many see this renewed engagement as a positive step toward revitalizing the stalled relationship. Seok further added, “While it is true that we have faced difficulties in some areas due to differing opinions, I hope we can strengthen communication and overcome the current challenges to solidify our alliance.”
For now, the project continues to make significant progress. At the end of February this year, a new test and demonstration flight was conducted with one of the program’s twin-seat prototypes. These tests assessed the stability of the two-seater variant during aerial operations, as well as its interoperability with the KF-16 fighter, one of South Korea’s primary combat aircraft.
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