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4w ago

South Korea Advances KF-21 Toward Service as F-5 Retirement Set for 2027

The program gives Seoul a homegrown platform for weapons testing, strengthening control over its air fleet.

KF-21 aircraft are being assembled at an assembly plant run by Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., the manufacturer of the country's first homegrown fighter jet, in Sacheon, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 13, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
A KF-21 fighter jet is on display outside the assembly plant of Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. in Sacheon, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 13, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
A prototype of South Korea's first homegrown KF-21 fighter jet takes off at a test flight site of the 281st Test Flight Squadron under the Air Force's 52nd Test Flight Group in Sacheon, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 13, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Overview

  • South Korea’s KF-21 completed a media demonstration flight in Sacheon on Wednesday, days after winning final combat suitability approval from the Air Force.
  • The first mass-produced KF-21, which rolled out March 25, made its first flight in April and is slated for handover in early September, with KAI targeting at least eight deliveries by year-end.
  • KAI says 20 of the first 40 jets are in final assembly at its Sacheon plant and projects output of more than 20 aircraft a year, with potential to scale to 30–40 with added investment.
  • Air Force chief Gen. Son Seok-rak said the service will retire its U.S.-made F-5 fighters by the end of 2027 as it prepares to field the KF-21.
  • AeroTime reported the Block-II phase cost estimate has risen to 18.44 trillion won, and officials are weighing schedule slips, while KAI urges a 2027 start to add long-range strike and support export plans.