State-run Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has unveiled the first mass production model of the Republic of Korea Air Force’s KF-21 Boramae combat aircraft.
The launch follows more than two decades after Seoul outlined a strategy for a domestically developed fighter jet.
Development began in 2015, with the first prototype unveiled in 2021 and its maiden flight in 2022.
Mass production started in 2024, following more than 1,600 flight tests.
The government said it will begin the platform’s fielding in September 2026 after final verification testing.
Speaking at the rollout ceremony at KAI’s center in Sacheon, President Lee Jae Myung said the milestone reflects a shift toward the East Asian country’s self-reliance in the defense field.
“Through the mass production of the KF-21, the Republic of Korea has finally come to possess weapons that safeguard peace with our own technology and will,” The Korea Herald quoted him as saying.
Lee highlighted that the program goes beyond military capability.
“The success of the KF-21 is not simply a strengthening of defense capabilities,” he said, adding it gives the nation “a new engine” to compete with leading defense powers.
The KF-21 Boramae
Seoul began the KF-21 Boramae initiative with the aim of replacing its American-developed F-4 and F-5 fleets before 2030.
KAI is expected to develop up to 120 fighter jets under the program, with order completion set before the end of the decade.
The Boramae measures 17 meters (57 feet) in length, has an 11-meter (36-foot) wingspan, and a fuel capacity of 6,000 kilograms (13,200 pounds).
The jet is equipped with two Hanwha/General Electric F414 engines with a combined output of 110,000 horsepower.
That propulsion allows the jet to achieve a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 (2,223 kilometers/1,381 miles per hour), a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,778 kilometers/1,726 miles), and altitudes up to 16,700 meters (54,790 feet).
Once commissioned, the aircraft will be armed with 20-millimeter rotary autocannons, guided and unguided bombs, electronic warfare and countermeasure solutions, as well as air defense, anti-ship, and land-attack missiles.
