The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Thursday that the KF-21 was declared suitable for combat use, meaning the aircraft has met the Air Force’s required operational capability and secured the technical reliability needed to carry out missions in actual battlefield conditions.
The KF-21 development project began in December 2015. Since testing and evaluation began in May 2021, the aircraft has undergone about five years of ground tests through February this year to verify its durability and structural integrity.
The aircraft also completed more than 1,600 flight tests, covering over 13,000 test conditions, including aerial refueling and weapons launch trials. Through the tests, authorities verified the KF-21’s flight performance and stability.
With the latest approval, the project is expected to be formally completed next month. The first mass-produced unit is scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force in the second half of this year.
The KF-21 will replace the Air Force’s aging F-4 and F-5 fighter jets, marking a major step in South Korea’s efforts to build an independent fighter aircraft development capability.
“This combat suitability approval is the result of close cooperation among the Defense Ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Air Force, Korea Aerospace Industries and other related organizations,” said Noh Ji-man, head of DAPA’s Korean Fighter Program Office.
“It is a symbolic achievement showing that South Korea has fully secured its own fighter jet development capability,” he added.
However, some officials say the deployment timeline could still be subject to change as pressure grows on the defense budget.
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