South Korea cuts initial KF-21 Boramae production by half

South Korea has announced plans to produce 20 KF-21 Boramae fighters this year, half of the 40 initially planned.

The country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has revealed that production will be staggered to address feasibility concerns calling for additional tests, according to Yonhap News Agency.

DAPA will sign a contract to produce the remaining 20 fighters next year after further air-to-air missile and radar capabilities tests are completed.

The Republic of Korea Air Force expects the first KF-21s to enter service by the second half of 2026, replacing the aging F-4 and F-5 fleet as its premier air fighters. The country estimates that it will deploy over 120 aircraft by 2032.

The production cost is estimated at 7.92 trillion won ($5.9 billion).

Financial Woes

Initially developed in Seoul in 2001, Indonesia joined the initiative as a partner in 2010, pledging to provide 20% of the funding and tapping state-owned Indonesian Aerospace to provide technological know-how through its development phase.

Despite recent successes in flight tests and tech implementations, the program has encountered hiccups due to financial issues with from Jakarta. A total of 114 Indonesian engineers working on the project left South Korea in 2021 after Indonesia failed to pay them, but 32 of the workers eventually rejoined the program.

DAPA has also recently issued a new warning after Indonesia asked for an eight-year extension on its payment deadline past its 2026 due date. The country currently owes 1 trillion rupiahs ($746 million) to Seoul.

The two countries continue to reaffirm their commitment to the program.