The first prototype of Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) KF-X fighter jet program was unveiled a few days ago, marking a milestone for the country’s first domestically developed fighter jet. KAI unveiled the twin-jet fighter – officially named KF-21 Boromae (= “Young Fighter Falcon”) – with external low detectability (stealth) at a high-level ceremony at its Sacheon production facility.
The roll-out paves the way for the first flight of the type, which is scheduled to take place as early as 2022. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), KAI is expected to produce six KF-21 prototypes for testing and development, with the first three to be completed by the end of this year. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who opened the event, said that after ground and flight tests are completed, mass production of the KF-21 will begin with a target of 40 jets by 2028 and 120 by 2032.
With the 65 percent domestically produced supersonic fighter jet (the two engines are General Electric F414-400, as in Gripen-E and Tejas Mk.1A), South Korea is joining the exclusive club of military aviation giants and setting the stage for a 5.2 billion dollar (4.4 billion euro) program that it hopes will be an export hit and major job creator for up to 100,000 engineering jobs. The aircraft will come in single- and two-seat versions and will be equipped with a range of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles – and possibly even air-launched cruise missiles. In the air-to-air segment, the Europeans will have their say, with Korea opting for the MBDA Meteor and the IRIS-T. However, there is no internal weapons bay, but there are semi-recessed missile bays and, according to the manufacturer, more flexibility in the choice of armament and mission design. The jet is also significantly faster than the F-35 from Lockheed Martin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MBGB-_bQOw&t=11s
The KF-21 is intended to replace the South Korean F-4 and F-5 fighter aircraft that were procured from the USA in the 1960s. Less likely – from today’s perspective – is a replacement for the F-16 and F-15K of the RoKAF. However, South Korea also operates F-35 stealth jets from Lockheed Martin and received the first aircraft of the 40-jet order in 2018. Seoul’s government spokesman Lim Se-eun said South Korea is also planning to build its own surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as electronic warfare capability to improve its air defense, build more powerful guided weapons and secure an independent satellite navigation system and space warfare capability. All with the aim of being among the top seven nations in the global aerospace industry and air force technology by 2030.
Indonesia continues to participate
Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is also known to Austria, also attended the event, which is seen in Seoul as a sign of the Southeast Asian country’s continued support for the KF-X program. Indonesia is a 20 percent partner. Jakarta is expected to receive up to 50 of the planned 170 jets to be produced. The months leading up to prototype construction were overshadowed by speculation that Indonesia wanted out of the partnership, with Jakarta lagging behind on payments for the program, according to media reports.
Prabowo paid a visit to President Moon Jae-in on April 8, where they discussed the KF-X program, among other things. According to the Yonhap news agency, Moon said after the meeting that the joint fighter jet program “symbolically demonstrates the high level of trust and cooperation between the two nations”. He also said that Prabowo’s participation in the prototype unveiling ceremony underlined “Indonesia’s robust commitment to the program”.
Seoul’s Southeast Asian neighbor is also set to receive up to 36 Dassault aircraft in the coming years, according to an announcement made at a TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force) leadership conference on February 18. Dassault Rafáles and around ten Boeing F-15EX fighter aircraft.
Here for more news about the Indonesian armed forces and here to further news about the South Korean armed forces.
