This May 10, 2023, shows engineers equipping a KF-21 prototype with a Meteor missile at Korea Aerospace Industries' headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. Yonhap

The state arms procurement agency said Friday it has signed a contract to purchase Meteor air-to-air missiles for South Korea's new KF-21 fighter jets currently under production.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) signed the deal Wednesday with the missiles' manufacturer MBDA, a European defense company based in France, according to a DAPA official.

The official said 100 Meteor missiles will be supplied in time for the first production phase of the KF-21 jets as planned, while declining to share details of the deal.

In July, South Korea began production of 20 units of the advanced homegrown fighter jet, with the first production model scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force in late 2026.

The Meteor missile is known to be able to reach a maximum speed of over Mach 4 and strike targets 200 kilometers away. (Yonhap)