Overview
- The first mass‑produced KF‑21 Boramae was formally delivered to the Republic of Korea Air Force and flew from KAI’s Sacheon plant to Yecheon in a ceremonial handover on Tuesday.
- The aircraft, designated No. 001, was accepted by Maj. Han Jae‑seok and escorted to its base by FA‑50, TA‑50 and T‑50 jets during the sortie.
- The handover marks a shift from developer‑led testing to Air Force responsibility after the KF‑21 completed about 1,600 test flights, earned combat suitability certification in May 2026 and finished systems development in June 2026.
- Korea Aerospace Industries began mass production in June 2024 and plans to deliver 40 air‑to‑air KF‑21s by 2028 and 80 additional air‑to‑ground capable jets by 2032, with the Air Force aiming to declare the type operational in the second half of 2027.
- The program revives South Korea’s domestic fighter industry, led to reactivation of the 156th Fighter Squadron for Boramae operations, and could boost defense autonomy and procurement activity as training and sustainment scale up.