KF-21 Completes 1,600 Flights Over 42 Months... Flight Testing Finished

System Development to Be Completed in the First Half of the Year
First Mass-Produced KF-21 to Be Delivered to the Air Force in the Second Half

The flight testing for the development of the Korean fighter jet (KF-21) has been successfully completed. Over the past 42 months, the KF-21 underwent more than 1,600 flight tests without any accidents. In addition, flight stability and performance were comprehensively verified through approximately 13,000 test conditions.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on January 13, the KF-21 system development project is a core national defense initiative aimed at replacing the Air Force's retired and aging F-4 and F-5 fighters with a domestically developed 4.5-generation fighter jet suitable for future battlefield operational concepts, using independent Korean technology.

The final flight test was a flight performance verification mission of prototype No. 4, conducted the previous day over the southern coast of Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do. The KF-21 also successfully completed air-to-air weapon launch tests and carried out high-difficulty tests such as recovery of control during extreme maneuvers, thereby demonstrating its operational capabilities as a 4.5-generation fighter jet.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration expanded the test flight area from Sacheon to Seosan and, for the first time in Korea, introduced aerial refueling in test flights, significantly improving the efficiency and scope of the tests. As a result, the development flight test period was shortened by two months compared to the original plan. The agency plans to complete the KF-21 system development in the first half of this year and begin delivering mass-produced units to the Air Force in the second half.

Once the KF-21 is deployed in actual operations, airspace defense capabilities will be further strengthened, and preparedness for future aerial combat will be greatly enhanced. On January 7, Prime Minister Kim Minseok visited Korea Aerospace Industries, inspected the fighter jet production line, and reviewed the KF-21's internal equipment, confirming its excellence.

No Jiman, Director of the Korean Fighter Project Group at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure that additional weapon tests, mass production, and force integration proceed without any setbacks."