South Korea has already ordered 40 KF-21s and is anticipated to buy another 80 by the 2030s—and could export additional aircraft to foreign customers as well.
Development of the South KoreanKF-21 Boramae (Fighting Hawk) fifth-generation multirole fighter has been underway for more than a decade. Still, it was only this month that Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced that thefirst production fighter rolled off the assembly line at Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. That aircraft was the first of 40 serial-production fighters, and is now on track to enter service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) later this year.
The prototype completed 42 months of flight testing “without incident since its first flight in July 2022,” The Aviationist reported, adding that the six test aircraft had further logged around 1,600 sorties.
Work on the production airframe began in July 2024 and reached its final assembly stage last May.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was in attendance at the ceremony marking the aircraft’s completion. Lee highlighted that the delivery had come 25 years after Seoul first announced its intention to develop a next-generation fighter—and noted that the KF-21 has already drawn interest in the global market from nations seeking a low-maintenance-cost aircraft and the ability to upgrade it.
“Finally, South Korea has become a nation that possesses weapons to safeguard peace through its own technology and willpower—not only on land and sea but also in the skies—thereby demonstrating the might of self-reliant national defense,” Lee said in his remarks. “The fighter jet standing proudly before you embodies the fervent aspiration for self-reliant national defense that our people have dreamed of for over half a century. As president, I sincerely celebrate this historic moment with 52 million citizens, filled with boundless pride.”
South Korea Wants 120 KF-21 Fighter Jets by 2032
Seoul had previously scaled back its Block I order, only to increase it back to the planned 40 aircraft, all of which are on track to be delivered by 2028. The initial eight aircraft in this batch should be in service by the end of this year.
An additional 80 KF-21s with enhanced ground-attack capabilities will be part of the Block II to follow, with the order completed by 2032.
KAI developed the KF-21 as part of a $6.6 billion project to replace the RoKAF’s aging fleet of F-4 Phantom II and F-5 Tiger II fighters, and it has been touted as a “cheaper” alternative to the American-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Work on the program began in the early 2000s to develop a more advanced version of the domestically-built KF-16.
The KF-21 Boramae’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 2022 (prototype phase)
- Number Built: 6 (prototypes only; 40 ordered)
- Length: 16.9 m (55 ft 4 in)
- Height: 4.7 m (15 ft 4 in)
- Wingspan: 11.2 m (36 ft 7 in)
- Weight (MTOW): 25,600 kg (56,400 lb)
- Engines: Two General Electric F414-GE-400k turbofan; to be replaced by Hanwha turbofans in production variants
- Top Speed: ~2,140 km/h (1,330 mph) / Mach 1.8
- Range: ~1,000 km (620 mi)
- Service Ceiling: Unknown; likely ~15,240 m (50,000 ft)
- Loadout: One 20mm M61A2 Vulcan autocannon; 10 hardpoints, 7,700 kg (17,000 lb) total payload
- Aircrew: 1–2, depending on variant
The Boramae Isn’t a True Stealth Fighter. Does That Matter?
The KF-21 is not a true stealth aircraft like the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II fighters. Instead, it is said to be closer to a 4.5-generation “near stealth” or “semi-stealth” fighter that features a low-observable airframe similar to the Raptor—earning it the moniker of “Baby Raptor” in some aviation circles.
The Boramae lacks a Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) coating and an internal weapons bay in its initial blocks. Instead, it opts for external hardpoints, which increase its radar cross-section (RCS). Even so, it is considered to be far more “stealthy” than other advanced fourth-generation multirole aircraft such as the Dassault Rafale or Eurofighter Typhoon.
Current plans call for the KF-21 to evolve into a true stealth fighter with subsequent blocks, including through the introduction of RAM and internal weapons bays. Block 1 is seen as focusing on the air-to-air mission, as it is outfitted with four recessed missile attachment points on its central fuselage and can also carry up to four MBDA Meteor missiles. Future blocks, which increase its stealth, will also allow the Boramae to become more of a multirole fighter like the F-35 Lightning II.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
