KF-21 First Mass Production Contract Quantity Reduced by Half

After producing 20 units this year, an additional 20 units will be contracted next year

The initial production contract quantity for the Korean supersonic fighter KF-21 has been confirmed at 20 units, reduced to half of the originally planned 40 units.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 22nd, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held the 160th Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee meeting and announced that it signed a production plan contract for 20 KF-21 units with the manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) this year, and after conducting air-to-air weapon verification tests, it plans to sign an additional contract for 20 units next year.

DAPA had planned to sign a contract for 40 initial production units of the KF-21 within this year, but after the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) submitted a feasibility study report last November recommending reducing the initial production quantity from 40 to 20 units, the initial contract quantity was reduced to 20 units. KIDA's report stated that air-to-air missile weapon verification tests had not been completed and recommended reducing the initial production quantity. Considering KIDA's recommendation, DAPA devised a so-called '20+20' production plan, maintaining the initial 40 units but first contracting 20 units and contracting the remaining 20 units after the air-to-air weapon verification tests.

A DAPA official emphasized, "There is no change in the plan to produce and deliver the initial 40 units to the Air Force by 2028," assuring that there will be no disruption to the KF-21's operational deployment. The military plans to operationalize the initial 40 KF-21 units from 2026 to 2028, and DAPA plans to produce an additional 80 units by 2032, delivering a total of 120 units to the Air Force. The domestically produced supersonic fighter KF-21 is intended to replace the Air Force's aging F-4 and F-5 fighters.

At the same Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee meeting, the basic plan for the domestic development of ship-to-ground ballistic guided missiles was also reviewed and approved. The development of ship-to-ground ballistic guided missiles, capable of precision strikes on key ground targets from naval vessels, is led by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). DAPA expects that successful development of these missiles will secure early response capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and enhance the capability to develop ship-mounted ballistic missiles. A total of 680 billion KRW will be invested in the development, with the project period extending until 2036.

The procurement plan for the F-15K performance upgrade project was also finalized at the meeting. The F-15K performance upgrade project will involve a total investment of 3.89 trillion KRW, with the project period lasting until 2028. The upgrade aims to improve the mission capability and survivability of the F-15K fighters operated by the Republic of Korea Air Force by enhancing the performance of key components such as radar. The committee decided to proceed with this project through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) government-to-government contract.

DAPA stated, "Through the F-15K performance upgrade, rapid and accurate target identification and strike capabilities will be enhanced, and stable operational conditions will be established, enabling the F-15K to more effectively demonstrate its long-range mission capability and weapon load capacity, becoming a core force in air defense."