[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is reviewing an early rollout of the first mass-produced KF-21 fighter jet in March 2026, advancing the original schedule by about 10 months. The KF-21 program, co-developed with Indonesia, entered full-scale development in 2015 with a budget of approximately $7–8 billion.
Six prototypes have completed over 2,000 test flights, including supersonic, night, and weapons separation tests, and are now in the final stage of Block I development. The early rollout reflects successful initial production reliability tests and the need to address North Korea’s escalating nuclear and missile threats, while accelerating the retirement of older F-4E fighters.
KAI began final assembly of the first production aircraft in May 2025, following a 20-aircraft initial production contract worth 1.9 trillion won. The advanced rollout underscores Korea’s commitment to strengthening its indigenous fighter capabilities.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
