Indonesian test pilot flew KF-21 Boramae prototype for the first time

An Indonesian Air Force pilot, for the first time, sat at the controls of one of the prototypes of the South Korean KF-21 Boramae fighter and took part in a test flight.

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Indonesian Air Force fighter pilot and test pilot Col. Pnb Muhammad «Mammoth» Sugiyanto successfully conducted his first test flight in the KFX/IFX-21 «Boramae» prototype number 4, which is a two-seater (tandem), last Tuesday, May 16, from Sacheon Air Base, South Korea.

Seorang penerbang tempur sekaligus penerbang uji TNI AU, Kolonel Pnb Muhammad "Mammoth" Sugiyanto telah sukses melaksanakan penerbangan uji perdana pesawat KFX/IFX-21 "Boramae" produksi ke-4 yang mrpkn pesawat kursi ganda (tandem) bertempat di Pangkalan Udara Sacheon, Korsel.??‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/jvZj4RxFsY

— TNI Angkatan Udara (@_TNIAU) May 16, 2023

This tandem flight was manned by KAI test pilot Jim Tae Bom (front seat) and Colonel Pnb Muhammad Sugiyanto (rear seat) to test communication, navigation and identification systems and core avionics. The aircraft took off at 10:35 a.m. and landed at 11:34 a.m. (local time) from Sacheon Air Base, where Korea Aerospace Industries has its facilities. Acting as a «chaser» (escort) aircraft was an F-16 aircraft of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).

«Mammoth» and Lt. Col. Pnb Ferrel «Venom» Rigonald, are the two Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) pilots serving as test pilots on the KFX/IFX-21 Boramae program.

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See also: Successful first flight of the tandem-seat KF-21 Boramae

This tandem flight coincided with the maiden flight of prototype 5 (single-seat), the type to be used by the Indonesian Air Force. This is the aircraft that will be delivered to TNI AU in the final phase of development in 2026, so that Indonesia can manufacture 60 of these fighters locally through technology transfer.

The flight was followed by a congratulatory party in the evening, together with representatives of KAI and PT Dirgantara Indonesia, Indonesia’s leading aerospace company and KAI’s partner in the project.

The participation in the flight tests of the TNI AU pilots is evidence that despite delays in covering the costs of their share of the program’s development, Indonesia remains committed to the KF-21 Boramae project.