South Korea Approves Production of Next-Gen KF-21 Fighter Jet

Defense News ,South Korea :-  South Korea made a big decision to make its air force stronger. The country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said yes to making its own next-generation KF-21 Boramae fighter jet.

This decision is a big deal because South Korea wants to be really good at making airplanes.

Starting Slow but Dreaming Big

DAPA plans to make these jets from 2024 to 2028. It's going to cost about $5.8 billion. They haven't said exactly how many planes they'll make in the first batch, but people think it's around 20.

The company making these jets, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), wanted to make more planes at first. But DAPA wants to be careful. They want to test everything about the jet, especially its fancy radar and missiles, before making a lot of them.

It's normal for making complicated military stuff to take a long time.

Still on Track for Big Plans

Even though they're starting with fewer planes, the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and DAPA still believe they can make lots of planes on time. They think ROKAF will get its first KF-21 jets by the second half of 2026.

Their big goal is to have 120 KF-21s by 2032, and they're sticking to it.

A Big Upgrade

The KF-21 has powerful engines made by GE Aerospace F414. It's a big step up for the ROKAF. They're getting rid of their old F-4 Phantoms and F-5 Tiger IIs and bringing in these new jets.

These jets show that South Korea is serious about having strong defenses and being good at making planes. It's like showing off their skills in making cool stuff for the sky.