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Prototype rollout to spur rapid progress of aviation industry
South Korea unveiled a prototype of its first domestically developed supersonic fighter jet, Friday, joining an elite group of global aerospace manufacturers. In a ceremony held in the southeastern city of Sacheon, President Moon Jae-in hailed the rollout of the twin-engine fighter, dubbed the KF-21 and named Boramae (hawk), saying, "A new era in independent national defense has begun, and it marks a historic milestone in the progress of our aviation industry.
If the final tests are completed successfully, the nation will become the world's eighth country to develop an advanced supersonic fighter. The first test flight is scheduled for 2022, and mass production will begin in 2026 with the goal of deploying 40 jets by 2028 and another 80 by 2032. Dubbed a 4.5-generation fighter, the KF-21 is not a stealth plane, but researchers seem set to continue their work for a possible conversion with additional features in the future.
The target localization of the KF-21 jet remains at 65 percent, but its rollout marks a significant achievement for South Korea, a country where the history of the production of domestically developed aircraft is not long. When the nation announced a plan to develop its own fighter, the prevailing opinion was negative at first. But our technicians made the impossible possible, localizing key equipment essential for a 4.5-generation fighter such as the active electronically scanned array (AESA). This will certainly enable the nation to make a quantum leap in the aerospace industry, which has emerged as a new growth engine in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
It's encouraging to hear that the KF-21 has significant export potential thanks to its price competitiveness. But the most important thing is that the new fighter will play a key role in safeguarding our airspace at a time when the security environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula is becoming increasingly unstable amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry. Nothing is more important than possessing overwhelming military capabilities when it comes to ensuring peace and stability.
