South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jet has obtained flight safety certificate after a government committee confirmed it met all regulatory requirements.
The Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that the certification was granted on 15 June 2026, following test procedures that began in April 2021 and lasted five years.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
As approved by a DAPA review committee, the KF-21 fighter jet, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), satisfied 745 criteria in 14 different categories, covering areas such as aircraft structure and electronic systems.
The assessment followed a successful combat readiness evaluation in May, as reported by The Korea Times.
Earlier this year, KAI revealed that the KF-21, also known as Boramae, had entered mass production. The initiative marks a decade since the effort to create a homegrown fighter began in 2015.
At a ceremony held at KAI headquarters in Sacheon, the company presented the first mass production unit, which is expected to undergo further ground and flight tests prior to its planned delivery to the Republic of Korea Air Force in late 2026.
South Korea plan to supply 120 units of the KF-21 by 2032. Of these, the first 40 jets, optimised primarily for air-to-air operations are scheduled for delivery by 2028.
This delivery will be followed by 80 jets equipped for air-to-ground and air-to-ship missions.
The KF-21 project seeks to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force’s older F-4 and F-5 aircraft with domestically developed jets designed for future operational requirements.
According to information available on KAI’s website, the 4.5-generation fighter jet is fitted with features including an AESA radar, advanced avionics, 10 weapon hard points, and both single and tandem seat configurations.
The aircraft has maximum thrust of 44,000 lb, a ferry range of 1,550 nautical miles, a maximum speed of 1,400mph, and a maximum payload of 17,000lb.
In December 2025, KAI awarded an $11m contract to BAE Systems to integrate the AN/APX-127(V)1 combined interrogator transponder onto the KF-21, supporting the ongoing development and operational capability of the new fighter aircraft.
