Yesterday, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), together with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), announced that the first production KF-21 Boramae fighter jet has entered its final assembly phase, bringing it one step closer to being incorporated into the South Korean Air Force in the near future. The news was confirmed during a ceremony held at the company’s facilities in the Sacheon region, just under a year since serial production of the fighter began and ten years after Seoul launched its program to develop its own supersonic fighter.
Jeong Gyu-heon, head of DAPA’s Future Power business division, stated: “It is thanks to the dedicated efforts of our researchers and developers that we have reached this historic moment of beginning the final assembly of the KF-21, which will open the future of the Republic of Korea Air Force.” It is worth recalling that the KF-21 is the platform set to replace the aging U.S.-made F-4 Phantom II and F-5 Tiger fighter jets.
Regarding possible timelines for the completion of the final assembly process, both KAI and DAPA have refrained from providing further details, although they have confirmed that the South Korean Air Force is expected to receive the first unit in 2026. This is set to be the first aircraft of the initial batch of twenty fighters purchased by Seoul for approximately $1.4 billion, as per an agreement finalized in 2024. By 2032, a total of 120 aircraft are expected to be acquired.
On the technical side, according to local sources, the KF-21 Boramae is expected to have a range of 1,550 nautical miles and a maximum takeoff weight of around 56,000 pounds (17,000 of which are payload). It will be powered by two General Electric F414-GE-400K turbofan engines, giving it a maximum estimated speed of Mach 1.8 and a peak thrust of 44,000 pounds. These features, combined with its stealth characteristics that place it in the 4++ generation, make it a less stealthy but more affordable alternative to the F-35 jets that have dominated recent Western fighter acquisitions.
So much so that both Seoul and KAI are already promoting the KF-21 as a candidate in procurement programs of potentially interested countries. Among the most illustrative examples is the United Arab Emirates, which initially sought to acquire the aforementioned fifth-generation U.S. aircraft but faced multiple restrictions imposed by Washington on the authorization of its sale. Another interested country is Indonesia, which has participated in the fighter’s development through local companies, although not always meeting its financial commitments—raising various doubts about the program despite official statements.
*Cover image: DAPA
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