The development program of the future KAI KF-21 Boramae for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) continues to move forward at a steady pace with the confirmation of the delivery date for the first series-production fighter, which has been set for the second half of 2026. The announcement was made by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which provided details on the progress of the program’s industrial schedule, marked by the transition from the development, testing, and evaluation phase to full-rate serial production of South Korea’s new combat aircraft.
According to the company, the delivery of the first production fighter will take place once the final stages of assembly, systems integration, and operational certification have been completed, in line with commitments made to the South Korean Ministry of Defense. This step is central for the ROKAF, which plans to progressively induct the KF-21 as part of its fleet modernization process and as a replacement for older platforms, such as the F-4 Phantom II retired in 2024 and the F-5 Tiger II.
It is worth noting that the delivery date announcement follows the start of final assembly of the first KF-21 Boramae in May 2025, an event that marked the formal transition of the program from the prototype phase to the manufacture of aircraft intended for operational service with the South Korean Air Force. This aircraft belongs to the first batch of 20 fighters acquired by Seoul for an investment of approximately US$1.4 billion, under an agreement finalized in 2024. By 2032, the incorporation of a total of 120 aircraft is planned.
While the KF-21 program continues to accumulate flight hours as part of its flight-test campaign, the company emphasized that these activities remain aligned with the planned development schedule and do not affect the stipulated delivery date of production aircraft. Expanding on the details, the ongoing tests still to be conducted will allow validation of mission systems, avionics, the new AESA radar, and armament, helping to reduce technical risks prior to the entry into service of the first production units.
Finally, the confirmation of the delivery date for the first production fighter reinforces the consolidation and technological maturity of the KF-21 Boramae program, as well as that of South Korea’s aerospace industry—factors that are increasingly being closely watched by potential foreign customers and industrial partners. However, this latter aspect has also been surrounded by a series of debates and questions regarding Indonesia’s participation and commitment to the program, which has been involved in various controversies, renegotiations, and delays in the payment of installments agreed upon in contracts with Seoul.
Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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