South Korean Air Force receives first production KF-21 fighter — Korea Herald
The South Korean Air Force has received its first production KF-21 Boramae multirole fighter. The aircraft, designated No. 001, flew from Sacheon to its first operational base in Yecheon after being handed over by Korea Aerospace Industries, The Korea Herald reports.
Handover of the first aircraft
Major Han Jae-seok, one of the first KF-21 pilots from the 156th Fighter Squadron of the 16th Fighter Wing, signed the fighter’s acceptance and handover documents. When the KF-21 arrived at the Yecheon base, it was escorted by an FA-50 light combat aircraft, a TA-50 lead-in fighter trainer and an advanced T-50 trainer aircraft.
The 156th Fighter Squadron was reactivated on June 1 as the first unit to operate the KF-21. The squadron was established in 1988; it previously operated F-4E Phantom fighters and was deactivated in 2012. The Air Force has also prepared an initial group of pilots and technical personnel for the new aircraft.
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Development and specifications
The fighter development program was launched in partnership with Indonesia after years of feasibility assessments and budget-related delays. Its goal was to develop a supersonic fighter to replace the retired F-4 Phantom aircraft and the aging F-5 fleet. Full-scale system development began in December 2015, the first KF-21 prototype was unveiled in April 2021, and it made its first flight in July 2022. Mass production began in June 2024.
The KF-21 Boramae, whose name translates as “young hawk,” is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter. It is 16.9 meters long, has a wingspan of 11.2 meters and a maximum speed of Mach 1.8, or about 2,200 km/h. The aircraft’s maximum takeoff weight reaches 25.6 tonnes, while its maximum payload is 7.7 tonnes.
The aircraft completed about 1,600 test flights under approximately 13,000 test conditions, including aerial refueling and air-to-air weapons tests. The South Korean Air Force plans to declare the KF-21 operational in the second half of 2027 and gradually introduce more than 100 such aircraft by the early 2030s. Korea Aerospace Industries said it will deliver 40 fighters with air-combat capabilities by 2028 and another 80 aircraft equipped with long-range air-to-surface missiles by 2032.
