KF-21 Fighter: KAI Signs $1.41 Billion Deal To Start Production Of South Korean Air Force Next-Gen Jet

KF-21 Fighter: KAI Signs $1.41 Billion Deal To Start Production Of South Korean Air Force Next-Gen Jet

• South Korea greenlights serial production of the KF-21 fighter jet, with plans to have 120 in service by 2032.
• Six prototypes built with initial tests underway; Korean Air Force to replace older jets with the KF-21 by 2026.
• Potential for KF-21 in export market, aims to compete with the Rafale, Eurofighter, and Russia's collapsed exports.

South Korea's ambitious KF-21 Boramae is progressing at a lightning pace, and South Korea has now formally greenlit serial production (while the jet is still in testing and development). The contract covers the procurement of the first 20 KF-21 Boramae fighter jets for the Korean Air Force. The KF-21 fighter jet looks something similar to the profile of an F-35 fighter jet but is considered a 4.5th-generation fighter jet (at least the initial production models).

Contract for the first batch of KF-21 fighters

According to the Korea Times, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) stated on Tuesday that it had signed a deal with the Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to build the first 20 KF-21 fighter jets. The deal also includes follow-up logistics support and training. The contract is valued at 1.96 trillion won or around $1.41 billion.

Photo: Mike Mareen l Shutterstock

"KAI stressed the significance of the deal, as 'it realizes the national aspiration for self-reliant defense by protecting our airspace with our technology.' It added that the contract marks the beginning of the full-scale production phase of the KF-21, while noting that the jet will become a core asset of the country's Air Force." - The Korea Times

Six prototypes have been built, and DAPA is staging various performance tests as it moves toward full-scale production. South Korea hopes to have 120 KF-21s in service by 2032 and offer them for export. The Korean Air Force is planning to put the KF-21 into service in 2026, replacing the now-retired F-4 Phantoms and other obsolete jets, like the Northrop F-5 Tiger II.

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Korea's new fighter jet

Korea launched the KF-21 program in 2015 and has developed it in a joint venture with Indonesia (although Korea has been the primary partner). The aircraft first flew in 2022. While the first jets will be built for the South Korean Air Force, Korea hopes they will prove popular in the export market.

The jet has been built using many foreign components and modularity in an effort to produce a quality-workable platform that can be upgraded over time. While the aircraft is designed with low observatory characteristics (aka stealth), it can't carry its weapons internally. This increases its radar signature compared to true fifth-generation fighter jets like the F-35. Later models are planned to carry weapons internally, have other upgrades, and be produced with more and more Korean components. It is possible that the KF-21 will take on more fifth-generation features as later varients are produced.

Photo: HARRY.S AHN | Shutterstock

The KF-21 is seen as having considerable potential in the export market. While it is unlikely to compete with the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet for export orders, it may compete with the French Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and Russia's now seemingly collapsed fighter jet export market.