KF-21 ‘Boramae’, South Korea’s indigenous combat jet, conducted its maiden flight as part of an official ceremony marking its delivery to the Air Force.
The first mass-produced KF-21 took to the skies from KAI’s Sacheon plant. An FA-50 aircraft, a TA-50 trainer and a T-50 Golden Eagle trainer flew in formation alongside the KF-21 to mark its arrival.
The handover to the Air Force marks a landmark in Seoul’s efforts to develop an indigenous warplane.
South Korea launched the project in December 2015, in partnership with Indonesia, to develop an advanced supersonic aircraft and replace F-4 fighters and aging F-5 jets. The delivery came about two years after the jet entered into mass production in June 2024.
“Overcoming numerous trials and hardships, the KF-21 was handed over to the Air Force today and commenced flight operations. Up until yesterday was the time for the Boramae project’s policymakers and developers. From today onward, it is the Air Force’s time,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Son Sug-rag said.
“I call upon every service member operating the KF-21 to take immense pride and responsibility in managing our nation’s premier fighter jet, uniting to ensure the KF-21 rapidly establishes itself as the ultimate shield defending the Republic of Korea,” he said.
The Air Force plans to field more than 100 KF-21 jets in phases by early 2030.
KAI said it will first manufacture 40 KF-21s focused on air-to-air capabilities for delivery to the Air Force by 2028, then produce 80 additional jets equipped with long-range air-to-ground missiles by 2032.
Earlier, as EurAsian Times reported, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) rolled out the first production KF-21 aircraft on March 25, 2026. The aircraft was presented at KAI’s production facility at Sacheon, South Gyeongsang province, with President Lee Jae-myung in attendance.
“The fighter jet standing proudly before you embodies the long-cherished aspiration for self-reliant national defense that we have pursued for over half a century,” President Lee reportedly said in his speech.
KAI unveiled the first KF-21 prototype in 2021, and by 2022, it had made its maiden flight, marking another milestone in the program. In a phenomenal accomplishment, the first series-produced aircraft rolled out less than 5 years after the prototype’s first flight.
The KF-21 is a twin-seater 4.5-generation combat aircraft. KAI designed it to bridge the gap between fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, offering advanced capabilities at a lower cost than platforms like the F-35. The program launched as a South Korea-Indonesia partnership, with Jakarta holding a 20% stake, but that stake has since been significantly reduced because of Jakarta’s financial constraints.
The KF-21 is expected to become the mainstay of the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) and strengthen the country’s three-axis defense system, aimed at countering potential threats from North Korea.
Speaking at the latest rollout ceremony, the South Korean President said the government will build on the KF-21’s performance as a “solid foundation” while increasing investment in relevant industries and bolstering collaboration with partner nations, in line with the country’s goal of ranking among the world’s top four defense-industrial powers.
“South Korea has finally secured weapons to protect peace with its own technology, not only on land and sea but also in the air,” he added.
While the KF-21 does not claim to be a fifth-generation fighter jet, it is quite there.
The KAI chief, Kang Goo-Young, a retired Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) pilot, earlier said, “They say the KF-21 is a 4.5-generation fighter, but I think that’s an underestimation. Compared to the 4.5-generation French Rafale and the European Eurofighter Typhoon, its performance is superior. So, I call it a 4.9-generation fighter, which is closer to the 5th generation (a fighter with full stealth capabilities).”
In fact, South Korea unveiled plans last year to upgrade the KF-21 through a phased “block” development model, culminating in Block III (also referred to as KF-21EX), which will incorporate true fifth-generation stealth capabilities. South Korea’s 2026 defense budget reportedly supports these upgrades, allocating expanded funding for stealth enhancements, the development of an indigenous engine, integration with unmanned systems or loyal-wingman-type drones, and a host of other subsystems.
It currently lacks internal weapons bays, but future upgrades may add them, potentially leading Seoul to reclassify the aircraft as a fifth-generation fighter. Once that happens, KF-21 could become the fourth country to develop and operate a 5th-generation warplane behind the US, Russia, and China. The aircraft currently has nine to ten external hardpoints for weaponry, depending on the configuration.
These upgrades aim to create a cost-effective, export-competitive fifth-gen fighter that complements the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) existing F-35A fleet and positions South Korea as a new player in the global advanced fighter market.
As a result, the KF-21 has moved quickly into production, outpacing other next-generation aircraft such as India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and even the Turkish KAAN. Meanwhile, the next-generation fighter programs like the FCAS and the GCAP have been unable to move past the design and development phase.
Compared with other fifth-generation programs worldwide, the KF-21 has maintained an unparalleled pace from first flight to the rollout of the first series-produced aircraft.
For example, the first flight of X-35, the precursor to the F-35, took place on October 24, 2000, but the first series-produced F-35 rolled out only on February 25, 2011—11 years later. Similarly, the Russian fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Su-57, had its maiden flight on January 29, 2010, but the series-produced aircraft was rolled out only in 2020—10 years later.
The South Korean KF-21 apparently rolled out in less than 5 years after its first flight—very fast compared to American and Russian fighters. At the same time, it has also outpaced contemporary programs such as the Indian AMCA and the Turkish KAAN.
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- With Inputs from Yonhap News Agency
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