South Korea has unveiled to the public the prototype of its next-generation indigenous fighter, the KF-21 Boramae (meaning hawk in Korean), at the Sacheon Air Show.
The new KF-21 Boramae fighter jet has been showcased at an air base in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday, where the four-day Sacheon Air Show kicked off the same day.
The new KF-21 is s one of the most important national projects to replace current air force fighters and to introduce the next generation fighter that can satisfy the future operation concept of the force battlefield.
Boramae is a multi-role fighter jet and the outcome of the KF-X aircraft development program which has been pursued since 2016. Indonesia has promised to fund 20 percent of the total development cost, or 1.73 trillion won ($1.55 billion), in exchange for 50 planes that will be manufactured there for the Indonesian Air Force, as well as technology transfers.
Currently, there are six KF-21 prototypes and they plan to conduct a combined 2,000 sorties or dispatches over Korea’s western and southern territorial waters through 2026 before undergoing a one-year tentative combat suitability test this year, with a view to achieving its final combat suitability in 2026 ― key steps in the phased development process, according to KAI.