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Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province (Photo: KAI) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on December 18 that it has signed a contract with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) for an additional weapons testing program for the Korean Fighter (KF-21). The contract is valued at KRW 685.9 billion.
With the signing of the agreement, KAI will be able to prepare and conduct flight test verification of air-to-ground capabilities before the completion of the ongoing system development program, ensuring continuity in the aircraft’s development process.
The additional weapons testing program will run through December 2028. Under the program, the KF-21’s operational capabilities will be expanded from its current air-to-air mission profile to include air-to-ground weapon capabilities. Related test evaluations and performance verification will be carried out in phases.
KAI plans to conduct air-to-ground weapons testing in parallel with evaluations of the air-to-ground functionality of the aircraft’s AESA radar and other key avionics systems. Upon completion of the program, the company expects the KF-21 to secure comprehensive operational capabilities.
The KF-21 additional weapons testing program will adopt a phased test and evaluation approach, allowing verified capabilities to be gradually integrated into operational deployment. In line with the revised system development master plan approved by the Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee in August, testing and evaluation will be conducted across three stages.
Based on the results of each phase, KAI aims to secure air-to-ground operational capability sequentially from the first half of 2027, ahead of the original plan to apply the capability from the end of 2028.
With its expanded weapons capabilities, the KF-21 is expected to further enhance its competitiveness in the global combat aircraft market and attract increased interest from potential overseas customers.
The KF-21 is currently in production for its initial mass-production batch, with deliveries to the Republic of Korea Air Force scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026. Given strong interest from multiple countries, including existing FA-50 operators in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, the enhanced weapons capability is expected to further strengthen the KF-21’s global market competitiveness.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
