South Korea has taken delivery of its first production KF-21 Boramae fighter, bringing the country’s domestically developed combat aircraft into Air Force service more than a decade after full-scale development began.
Aircraft 001 was formally handed over by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to the Republic of Korea Air Force on Tuesday, September 22, at the manufacturer’s plant in Sacheon. Major Han Jae-seok, one of the Air Force’s first KF-21 pilots, signed the acceptance document before flying the aircraft to Yecheon Air Base.
The delivery flight also became the first sortie of the production aircraft in Air Force hands. An FA-50 light attack aircraft, TA-50 fighter trainer and T-50 Golden Eagle trainer joined the KF-21 in formation before its arrival at Yecheon.
https://x.com/airwayaviation/status/2102690724081004643
KF-21 moves from development to Air Force operations
The first KF-21 prototype was rolled out in April 2021, with flight testing beginning the following year. The program completed its final combat suitability evaluation in May 2026 and systems development in June.
The production aircraft arrives about 10 years and nine months after South Korea formally launched development in December 2015. The broader effort to create a domestically developed fighter dates to 2001, when then-President Kim Dae-jung announced the initiative.
The KF-21 was developed to replace older combat aircraft, including the F-4 Phantom, which has already been retired, and the F-5. Indonesia joined the development program as an international partner, although KAI and South Korea have led the design, testing and production of the aircraft.
South Korea describes the KF-21 as an indigenous fighter, despite the use of several foreign components. Among them are its two GE Aerospace F414 engines, while major systems developed domestically include the aircraft’s active electronically scanned array radar.
First squadron reactivated for KF-21
The first production aircraft will be operated by the 156th Fighter Squadron of the 16th Fighter Wing at Yecheon. The unit previously operated the F-4E Phantom before it was deactivated in 2012 and was reactivated in June 2026 specifically to introduce the KF-21.
The Air Force is expected to spend the coming months establishing operational procedures and training personnel with the new fighter. Operational deployment is planned for the second half of 2027.
KAI entered KF-21 production in June 2024. The initial Block I program covers 40 aircraft focused primarily on air-to-air missions, with deliveries scheduled through 2028. Another 80 Block II aircraft are planned by 2032, adding expanded air-to-ground capabilities and bringing the planned South Korean fleet to 120 fighters.
