KAI delivers first production KF-21 Boramae fighter to South Korea's Air Force
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) handed over the first production KF-21 Boramae fighter to the Republic of Korea Air Force on 22 September 2026, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Air Force said in a joint statement. The aircraft flew from KAI's plant in Sacheon to an Air Force unit in Yecheon, escorted by an FA-50 light attack jet, a TA-50 fighter trainer and a T-50 Golden Eagle.
The delivery marks the KF-21 programme's shift from development into operational service, roughly four years and two months after the first prototype's maiden flight on 19 July 2022. The indigenous supersonic fighter is designed to gradually replace the Air Force's ageing F-5 fleet; the programme formally launched in December 2015, with Indonesia joining as a partner nation.
KAI rolled out the first prototype in April 2021 and began mass production in June 2024, with combat compatibility certification completed in May 2026. The company plans to build 40 air-to-air-focused KF-21s for delivery by 2028, followed by 80 more equipped with long-range air-to-ground missiles by 2032. The Air Force intends to field more than 100 KF-21s in phases by the early 2030s, and reactivated its 156th Fighter Squadron in June to operate the new jets.
Read more: The Defence Blog
