Summary and key points: South Korea’s KF-21 Borame fighter jet is nearing mass production, with the first 20 aircraft expected by 2027. The 4.5+ generation fighter, developed by Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), could be supported by an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) as a “loyal wingman.” KAI is currently considering a scaled-down UCAV design to meet performance targets without compromising capability.
-The KF-21, which is considered a low-cost alternative to the F-35, is 80% complete, test flights and aerial refueling have been successful. More than 600 South Korean companies are involved in the program, and the engines are from Hanwha Aerospace.
Loyal wingman could support South Korea’s KF-21 fighter jet
The development of the South Korean KF-21 Borame multi-role fighter aircraft has been underway for more than a decade. but only last month, Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced that mass production of the aircraft had begun. The 4.5+ generation fighter jet is expected to enter service by the end of next year, with the final deliveries of Block 1 until the end of August 2027.
The numbers are being cut further and further
Seoul announced in June that the first batch of KF-21s would consist of 20 aircraft. The original order included 40 KF-21 Block I and 80 Block II aircraft – the latter models having enhanced ground attack capabilities. Reducing the initial number of aircraft could allow KAI to better boost the air-to-air capabilities of the Block 1 models.
KAI is also developing an unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV) called “Loyal Wingman” that could be used alongside the manned fighter aircraft. Last week it was reported that drone production could now also be reduced – not in number, but in size.
“This is because KAI engineers are looking for optimal design options, including the use of a high-performance turbofan engine,” a KAI spokesperson told international military analysis firm Janes earlier this month. The drone was originally planned to be about a third the size of the manned fighter aircraft.
Although the aircraft is smaller than originally proposed, the spokesperson opined that “the iterated or revised (UCAV) design can be scaled down without sacrificing performance,” adding, “A change in aircraft size can occur at any time during the design iteration if a revised design is expected to meet the requirements. Since KAI’s trusty wingman is in the conceptual design phase, there may actually be many options to satisfy the expected future market.”
South Korea is far from the only country developing an unmanned wingman that could operate alongside a manned fighter aircraft. The US Air Force is just as focused on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which could operate alongside the future Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, as it is on the manned aircraft – and the UK-led Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) could also include an optionally manned fighter aircraft supported by multiple UCAVs.
An alternative to the F-35
The KF-21 was developed by KAI as part of a $6.6 billion project to replace the RoKAF’s aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters. It was touted as a “cheaper” alternative to the US-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Work on the program began in the early 2000s to develop an advanced version of the domestically built KF-16.
Indonesia joined the program in 2010 as a junior partner, with Jakarta funding 20% of the total development costs in exchange for an undisclosed number of fighter jets to be produced for the Indonesian Air Force. However, as previously reported, Indonesia may be behind on its payments to Seoul – so it is unclear what the current status of the partnership is.
KAI has stated that the development of the KF-21 is now 80% complete and the aircraft completed its first test flights in July 2022. In addition, successful aerial refueling tests have been conducted, underlining its long-range operational capability.
More than 600 South Korean partner companies were also involved in the development of the multirole fighter, as Seoul set a 65% localization quota, which was achieved according to recent media reports. Hanwha Aerospace – which makes engines for several of the RoKAF aircraft – was awarded a multi-year contract to supply its F414 engines for the KF-21.
Six prototypes were manufactured and used in numerous performance tests.
Author’s experience and expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a writer from Michigan. He has published over 3,200 articles for more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites in his twenty-year career as a journalist. He writes regularly about military equipment, weapons history, cybersecurity, politics and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Author for Forbes and Clearance jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciuYou can send an email to the author: (email protected).
Image credit: Creative Commons.
