• Boramae supersonic fighter jet made its first flight Tuesday.
• South Korea needs 120 planes by 2030.
• Mass production and deployment begin in 2026, after 2,000 test flights.

KF-21 Boramae launched Tuesday. South Korea has flown a supersonic fighter jet.

From Sacheon, South Korea, the prototype plane flew 33 minutes round-trip (DAPA).

Ahn Jun-hyun was nervous before takeoff, but “everything went wonderfully,” so he flew the whole way.

Six KF-21 prototypes are being made. Mass production and deployment begin in 2026, after 2,000 test flights. South Korea needs 120 planes by 2030.

The KF-21 could fire air-to-air, air-to-surface, and cruise missiles. Two-engine fighters have 1-2 seats.

Tuesday’s jet featured fake Meteor AAMs and an infrared S&T system. 400km/h (250 mph).

The flight was a “important stride toward national defence independence,” said President Yoon Seok Yeol. Seoul and Indonesia hold 80% of KF-21.

Even though only 65% of the KF-21 was made in South Korea, its first flight marks a milestone for a small aircraft company.

Only the U.S., Russia, China, Japan, France, Sweden, and UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain have flown supersonic jet fighters.

NATO says only the US and China have fifth-generation combat jets. These planes can disrupt radar and combine onboard and remote data.

The KF-21 lacks a covert internal weapons compartment, making it 4.5-generation. It may fly higher and faster than the F-35, the US’s fifth-generation fighter.

Former RAAF officer Layton stated the effort enhanced South Korea’s aerospace capability. KF-21s may be exported because they’re cheaper than F-35s.

Thailand, the Philippines, and maybe Iraq “may buy the fighter,” Ait said. Each country uses the jet the KF-21 will replace, so their interest is natural.

These countries also bought the South Korean FA-50. President Yoon claimed Tuesday’s test boosted defence exports.

[embedpost slug=”/ukraine-and-russia-what-you-need-to-know-right-now/”]