First KF-21 Boramae Fighter Jet Takes Off, Will Be Equipped With Meteor Missiles To Replace The Legendary AIM-9 Sidewinder

JAKARTA - South Korea made a new history in the aerospace world, as the KF-21 Boramae took off for the first time, making the Ginseng Country the eighth country capable of developing a supersonic fighter jet.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the KF-21, a 4.5-generation fighter aircraft manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), took off in the Air Force's third Flying Training Wing in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and flew around the area. for more than 30 minutes on July 19.

According to DAPA, the KF-21 took off, equipped with four Meteor air-to-air missiles, but without other key equipment such as an infrared search and tracking system. In addition, it travels at a speed of about 400 kilometers per hour, or 215 knots, instead of reaching supersonic speeds.

The KF-X project, which aims to build a fighter with a higher capability than the KF-16 fighter, was started in March 2001 by the late President Kim Dae-jung.

The South Korean Air Force plans to secure 120 advanced multi-role fighter jets by 2032, to replace the aging F-4 and F-5 fleet under the project.

South Korea and Indonesia signed an agreement in 2010 to cooperate on the project, under which Jakarta would fund 20 percent of the total development cost of 8.8 trillion won (6.76 billion US dollars), in exchange for a number of aircraft to be produced in the country. there for Indonesia. Air Force, as well as for technology transfer.

"The first takeoff means the KF-X program has entered a real phase," said a military officer who did not want to be named, according to the Korea Times July 19.

Although the project was first launched two decades ago, the program has been delayed due to a series of twists and turns, such as disputes over the use of single or dual engines, the US refusal to transfer core technology and major modifications to the aircraft's layout.

After a long and arduous process of conducting feasibility studies to gathering opinions, South Korea began exploratory research in 2011, and the state arms procurement agency signed a contract with KAI in December 2015, to get down to business on the project in earnest.

There are currently six KF-21 prototypes and they plan to carry out 2,000 combined sorties or deliveries over Korea's western and southern territorial waters by 2026, before undergoing a one-year tentative combat feasibility test this year.

Previously, ahead of the flight test, KAI successfully completed a ground test earlier this month, which aimed to check the integrity and basic operation of the aircraft.

The KF-21 uses a variety of advanced technologies, including an active electronically scanned array radar, which tracks multiple targets with highly sophisticated and efficient components.

The fighter jet will also have an infrared search and tracking system, capable of detecting low-flying targets that emit infrared radiation, such as anti-ship missiles.

Later, the KF-21 Boramae will be equipped with air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-2000 by Germany-based Diehl and Meteor by Britain's MBDA. The AIM-2000 is known to be a replacement for the legendary AIM-9 Sidewinder missile and is used in more than 40 countries, since its launch in 1956. Additionally, air-to-surface combat capabilities will be added during the second phase of the project from 2026 to 2028.