South Korea rolled out the first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae fighter on March 25 at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) facilities in Sacheon, with the aircraft taxiing to the ceremony stage under its own power before a crowd of more than 500 guests, including Air Force pilots, defense executives, and ambassadors from 14 countries.
South Korea held the rollout ceremony for its first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae fighter jet on March 25, 2026. President Lee Jae-myung attended the event at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, marking a key milestone in the nation’s self-reliant defense efforts. pic.twitter.com/ZrZfsIB4L4
— RB. (@rahul4bisht) March 25, 2026
President Lee Jae-myung attended the ceremony, where he described the aircraft as the embodiment of “the fervent aspiration for self-reliant national defense that our people have dreamed of for over half a century.”
🇰🇷 South Korea commits $3.4 BILLION to develop an indigenous 106.75 kN fighter engine for the KF‑21 Block 3.
Targeted for 2040, this engine will end reliance on foreign powerplants and supercharge Korea’s aerospace independence.
KF‑21 Block 3 is shaping up as a regional… pic.twitter.com/b4UOAuXTL4
— Defence Index (@Defence_Index) December 28, 2025
The production aircraft is a Block I variant equipped with the APY-016K active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an infrared search and track (IRST) system, and an integrated electronic warfare suite, all developed domestically by Hanwha Systems.
The twin-engine jet is powered by two General Electric F414 engines, reaches Mach 1.8, carries a maximum payload of 7,700 kilograms, and has a ferry range of approximately 1,800 miles. Six prototypes logged around 1,600 sorties across 42 months of flight testing following the aircraft’s first flight in July 2022.
The program is running ahead of its original timeline. KAI plans to deliver eight KF-21s to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) in 2026, with 31 additional airframes targeted for 2027 and 47 in 2028, completing the initial batch of 40 Block I aircraft ahead of the previously stated 2028 deadline.
Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) also moved air-to-ground weapons integration testing to the first half of 2027, a year earlier than previously planned. A further 80 Block II aircraft, adding a precision strike role, are scheduled for delivery by 2032. The KF-21 will replace the F-4 Phantom II and KF-5E Tiger II and serve alongside the F-35A Lightning II.
Initiated by President Kim Dae-jung in 2001, the program faces continued strain as Indonesia reduced its 2025 contribution to 600 billion won ($443 million), down from the original $1.16 billion pledge. Concurrently, South Korean authorities concluded a high-profile investigation into KAI engineers, deciding against filing criminal charges in mid-2025 due to insufficient evidence of data theft.
Lee said the government intends to develop a domestically produced advanced aero engine to eventually replace the F414, reducing reliance on foreign components.
