South Korea’s defense minister expressed confidence that the KF-21 Boramae fighter under development will play a «great» role in deterring North Korean threats.
According to Yonhap news agency, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup made the remarks at a ceremony celebrating the first flight of the aircraft that South Korea hopes to put into service from 2026, to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters.
See also: South Korea seeks to replace its aging F-4 and F-5 fighters as soon as possible
Built by Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), the fighter successfully made its maiden flight in July, but, Yonhap News claims that the test was conducted without any government-led ceremony due, in part, to uncertainties about whether or not the flight would be successful.
«I am thankful to KAI, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the Air Force, related companies, academia and research institutes that have dedicated themselves to the development of the KF-21 fighter,» Lee said.
«The KF-21 will be a key player for air defense that dominates future battlefields and will play a great role in deterring North Korean threats,» he added.
The ceremony was attended by senior Seoul officials, including the Defense Minister, DAPA Director Eom Dong-hwan, and Air Force Chief of Staff General Jung Sang-hwa, as well as Indonesian Vice Defense Minister Muhammad Herindra.
The participation of a senior Indonesian official in the ceremony seems to indicate that the country remains a partner in the KF-X program. But in recent times, no information emerged that Indonesia has paid the development costs owed to South Korea.
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DAPA officials said that Wednesday’s ceremony was intended to demonstrate the capability of the KF-21 fighter to carry out its flight mission safely.
«A success in developing a Korean-style fighter means the country will become an advanced country that uses its homegrown aircraft for training Air Force pilots and defending its territorial air,» a DAPA official was quoted as saying.
KF-21 prototypes are set to make more than 2,000 sorties to complete the development process by 2026.
