South Korea completes KF-21 fighter development, first production jet slated for September delivery

South Korea announced the completion of system development for its indigenous supersonic fighter, the KF‑21 "Boramae," after more than a decade of work and over 1,600 accident‑free test flights. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration held a ceremony with officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Air Force, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and representatives of partner country Indonesia.

The first production aircraft is scheduled to be handed over to the Republic of Korea Air Force in September, marking the start of serial production. With this milestone, South Korea becomes the world’s eighth nation to develop a 4.5‑generation fighter and the first to achieve independent development and production of such an aircraft. The programme plans to produce an initial batch of 40 fighters by 2028, expanding to a total of 120 by 2032, and aims to replace aging F‑4 and F‑5 fleets while seeking export customers in Indonesia, the Philippines and other markets.