Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has contracted BAE Systems to integrate its latest Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems into the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet.
Under the $11-million contract, BAE will supply its AN/APX-127(V)1 Combined Interrogator Transponder (CIT) to enhance the 4.5-generation combat aircraft’s capabilities to distinguish between allied forces and potential threats.
Work on the upgraded IFF system is performed at BAE’s Greenlawn, New York, and Austin, Texas, facilities. Deliveries, integration, and certification are scheduled in 2026.
The latest CIT system provides “an edge in air superiority missions and allows them to maintain interoperability with US and coalition partners,” according to Seth Guanu, Combat Identification Products program area director at BAE Systems.
The KF-21 Block I aircraft is slated for low-rate initial production in 2026 and full-rate production around 2028. Meanwhile, KAI is working on a phased plan to future-proof the aircraft, including the integration of stealth features.
The IFF System
The CIT was designed for tactical aircraft and made with an open-system architecture to allow easy software upgrades, driving down the costs and risks compared to hardware modifications.
It also supports advanced crypto, anti-jam, and cybersecurity resilience requirements.
BAE Systems’ AN/APX-127(V)1 is designed to directly replace the AN/APX-126(V) IFF currently used on the KF-21, allowing installation without aircraft modifications.
The upgraded CIT is Mark XIIB IFF certified with Mode S and Mode 5 for secure and encrypted data exchange, supporting interoperability with allied forces.
With additional receive channels for passive acquisition of Mode 5 Level 2 and Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast In, the upgraded IFF improves pilot awareness by passively receiving identification data from friendly aircraft operating in dense or contested airspace.
