KAI KF-21 Boramae
The KAI KF-21 Boramae (formerly known as KF-X) is a South Korean-led fighter aircraft development program with the goal of producing an advanced multirole fighter for the South Korean and Emirati air forces. The airframe is stealthier than any fourth-generation fighter, but does not carry weapons in internal bays like fifth-generation fighters, though internal bays may be introduced later in development.
| KF-21 Boramae | |
|---|---|
| A KAI KF-21 prototype, 2021 | |
| Role | Block 1: Air superiority fighter Block 2: Multirole combat aircraft, air superiority fighter |
| National origin | South Korea |
| Manufacturer | Korea Aerospace Industries / Indonesian Aerospace |
| Design group | Agency for Defense Development |
| First flight | 19 July 2022 |
| Introduction | 2026 (planned) |
| Primary user | Republic of Korea Air Force |
The program is led by the South Korean government, which holds 60% of the program's shares. Indonesia took a 20% stake in the program in 2010, and the remaining 20% is held by private partners including the manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). The United Arab Emirates took over Indonesia's shares after competition from Poland in becoming project partners. The KAI KF-X is South Korea's second domestic fighter jet development program, following the FA-50.
In April 2021, the first prototype was completed and unveiled during a rollout ceremony at the headquarters of KAI at Sacheon Airport. It was named the Boramae (Korean: 보라매, "young hawk" or "fighting hawk"). The first test flight was on 19 July 2022, with manufacturing scheduled to begin in 2026. At least 40 aircraft are planned to be delivered by 2028, with South Korea expecting to deploy 120 of the aircraft by 2032. It will also be available for export market.