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| A KF-21 Boramae takes off at the third Flying Training Wing of the Air Force in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, for its first flight test. Courtesy of Defense Acquisition Program Administration |
By Kang Seung-woo
The KF-21 Boramae, the nation's first domestically developed fighter jet, made history with a successful maiden flight, Tuesday, making Korea the world's eighth country to develop an advanced supersonic warplane.
According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the KF-21, the 4.5-generation fighter produced by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), took off at the third Flying Training Wing of the Air Force in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and flew around the area for more than 30 minutes.
The KF-X, aimed at manufacturing a fighter plane with higher capabilities than a KF-16 fighter, was initiated in March 2001 by late President Kim Dae-jung. The Air Force plans to secure 120 advanced multi-role fighter jets by 2032 to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s under the project.
Korea and Indonesia signed a deal in 2010 to cooperate on the project, under which Jakarta would fund 20 percent of the total development cost of 8.8 trillion won ($6.76 billion), in exchange for a number of planes that would be manufactured there for the Indonesian Air Force, as well as for technology transfer.
"The first takeoff means that the KF-X program has entered its visible phase," a military officer said on condition of anonymity.
Although the project was first floated two decades ago, the program has been delayed due to a series of twists and turns, such as the single-engine or double-engine dispute, the U.S.' refusal to transfer a core technology and a major modification to the fuselage layout.
After the long and arduous processes of conducting feasibility studies and gathering opinions, the country began exploratory research in 2011, and the state arms procurement agency signed a contract with KAI in December 2015 to get down to business on the project in earnest.
According to the DAPA, the KF-21 took off, equipped with four Meteor air-to-air missiles, but without other main equipment such as an infrared search-and-track system. In addition, it traveled at a speed of about 400 kilometers per hour, or 215 knots, rather than reaching supersonic speeds.
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.
Ahead of the flight test, KAI successfully completed a ground test earlier this month, aimed at checking the aircraft's basic integrity and operability.
The KF-21 employs various high-end technologies, including the active electronically scanned array radar that tracks multiple targets with highly advanced and efficient components. It also has an infrared search-and-track system that detects low-flying targets emitting infrared radiation, such as anti-ship missiles.
The fighter jet will be equipped with air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-2000 by Germany-based Diehl and the Meteor by Britain's MBDA. In addition, air-to-surface combat capabilities will be added during the second phase of the project from 2026 to 2028.
