"Korean Fighter KF-21 Could Pose a Threat to China," Analysis by Chinese Expert

On the 19th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced that the first domestically produced fighter jet, the KF-21 Boramae, successfully completed its flight. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] An analysis has emerged suggesting that South Korea's first domestically produced fighter jet, the KF-21 Boramae, could bring changes to the regional air force balance if it is mass-produced in the future.

On the 24th, the Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post (SCMP) analyzed that the KF-21 is fully qualified to be considered a modernized 4th-generation or above fighter jet.

The reasons cited include the KF-21 being equipped with advanced avionics such as an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and an infrared detection and tracking system, as well as the capability to carry air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.

Anthony Wong, a military expert from Macau, also predicted that "(the KF-21) could be an excellent match for the latest J-10." The J-10 is a 4th-generation multirole fighter independently developed by China, which entered mass production and operational deployment in the early 2000s. It is generally classified as being on par with the US and Western countries' F-16.

Wong stated, "If the KF-21 performs well, it could pose a certain threat to China considering the South Korea-US military alliance." He also forecasted that the KF-21 might compete in the international market with the FC-31, which China is developing with export in mind.

However, he argued that currently the KF-21 cannot compete with the J-20 or FC-31. The J-20 is China's first stealth fighter developed and deployed operationally. It is the first 5th-generation fighter and is known as a rival to the US F-22, which boasts top performance. The FC-31, while smaller and somewhat less capable than the J-20, is being developed as an economically viable mass-produced stealth fighter similar to the US F-35.

SCMP evaluated that South Korea's KF-21, a 4.5-generation fighter, does not reach the level of a 5th-generation fighter with perfect stealth capabilities. It is claimed that its stealth performance is limited, such as carrying weapons externally rather than internally. Additionally, the US-made engine 'F414-GE-400K' installed in the KF-21 is considered insufficient to meet the maneuverability requirements of 5th-generation fighters.

SCMP pointed out that compared to operational 5th-generation fighters like the US F-22 and F-35, China's J-20, and Russia's SU-57, the KF-21 clearly has weaknesses.

Meanwhile, the Korean fighter jet KF-21 successfully completed its first flight on the 19th. With this, South Korea became the world's eighth country to develop a supersonic fighter jet, 21 years and 4 months after declaring the KF-X project.