Air Force Chief of Staff Boards KF-21 for the First Time... "On Par with World-Class Fighter Jets"

Air Force Chief Lee Youngsoo becomes first non-test pilot to fly the KF-21 Boramae
Confirms aerial maneuverability and radar performance during test flight
Korea joins ranks of nations capable of developing supersonic fighter jets independently

Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Young-soo took his first ride on the ‘KF-21 Boramae fighter jet’ on the 19th. Lee said, “I am confident that it can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s top-class fighters in terms of power, maneuverability, avionics, and armament capabilities,” adding, “The KF-21 will make a name for itself as a premium fighter jet that will further elevate the value of K-defense industry.”

On the morning of the same day, Lee boarded the KF-21 at Sacheon Air Base in Gyeongnam with test pilot Major Woo Hong-gyun and took a test flight. Lee was the first person other than the test pilot to board the KF-21. He is also a veteran pilot who has flown over 2,800 hours on the Air Force’s main aircraft. In 2005, 20 years ago, he brought one of the first delivered F-15Ks from the U.S. mainland to Korea.

Flying at an altitude of about 4,500 meters over the southern coast at speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h, Lee checked the KF-21’s stable aerial operation capabilities. He also flew alongside the KF-16, the main fighter jet of the Korean Air Force, to verify tactical operation capabilities with other aircraft types. Additionally, he confirmed the performance of the domestically produced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar installed on the KF-21.

The KF-21 Boramae is a 4.5-generation supersonic fighter jet developed by Korea, which successfully completed its maiden flight in July 2022. It received provisional combat suitability certification in May 2023 and signed its first mass production contract in June 2024. On November 28 of the same year, it achieved 1,000 accident-free sorties. After completing approximately 1,000 planned test sorties, it is scheduled to be deployed to frontline combat squadrons starting in 2026. Upon completion of development, Korea will become a country capable of independently developing supersonic fighter jets, joining the ranks of the U.S., Russia, and Europe.

Lee said, “When I received flight training from the U.S. Air Force as a procurement officer for the F-15K in 2005, I was overwhelmed with admiration and envy for a country that produces premium fighters like the F-15 series,” adding, “As I checked the outstanding performance of a fighter jet made by Korea in the air, I felt a truly warm emotion and pride that, after 20 years, we have become such a great nation.”