South Korea has successfully wrapped up all flight tests of the KF-21 Boramae, marking a major milestone toward fielding the country’s next-generation combat aircraft with the Republic of Korea Air Force.
According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the final flight test was carried out in mid-January over the Namhae Sea near Sacheon, using the fourth prototype aircraft.
The test program recorded roughly 1,600 sorties over a 42-month period without any accidents, verifying more than 13,000 performance and system requirements and confirming the fighter’s readiness for operational service.
DAPA said the use of expanded test ranges and the inclusion of air-to-air refueling evaluations allowed the program to complete flight testing approximately two months ahead of its original schedule.
Korea Aerospace Industries is spearheading the KF-21 effort alongside the Agency for Defense Development, with contributions from 225 local companies and over 10 state-funded research institutes.
The KF-21 initiative, launched in 2015 after long-running feasibility studies, is designed to replace South Korea’s legacy F-4 and F-5 fighter jets.
The Boramae’s first prototype rolled out in April 2021 and flew for the first time in July 2022, while assembly of the initial production aircraft began last year.
DAPA plans to finish system development by the first half of 2026 and start delivering mass-produced aircraft to the air force in the second half of the year.
