South Korea plans to reduce KF-21 fighter jet production

Adem Kılıç

2 years ago

A South Korean defense research agency has recommended reducing KF-21 homegrown fighter jet output.

Concerns over the price competitiveness and uncertainties surrounding South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae project have prompted the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses to recommend reducing the initial production volume.

The original plan called for the production of 120 KF-21 fighter jets by 2032, but this may now be scaled back.

Launched in 2015 with a budget of 8.9 trillion won (approximately $6.59 billion), the KF-21 project was initiated to develop a supersonic fighter to replace South Korea’s aging F-4 and F-5 aircraft. However, due to project uncertainties, the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses has suggested cutting the number in the first batch by half to 20 units.

The feasibility study’s outcome will play a crucial role in securing the budget resources for the first-phase production, which is expected to commence in 2024. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is currently collaborating with relevant agencies to ensure the KF-21’s timely deployment and to maintain its price and performance competitiveness.

Korea Aerospace Industries has developed six prototypes of the 4.5th-generation fighter, which began their flight tests earlier this year, with the first delivery to the Air Force slated for the latter half of 2026.