1. South Korea is set to build 40 KF-21 Boramae fighter jets this year with a budget allocated for the project. The KF-21 is expected to fill the “power vacuum” left when the South Korean Air Force’s aging fighter fleet retires, according to the defense minister.
2. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) reported that the engineering and manufacturing phase of the KF-21 will conclude in 2026. The plan is to deploy the first KF-21 in the second half of that year and replace the F-4 and F-5 fleets with 120 Boramae jets in total by 2032.
3. KAI has announced plans to make the KF-21 competitive on the international market by incorporating advanced missile systems. Various agreements have been made with European and German weapons makers to mount air-to-surface and short-range air-to-air missiles on the KF-21.
4. The KF-21 program was projected to cost 8.8 trillion won, with Indonesia expected to cover 20% of the cost. However, Indonesia has run behind on payments since 2017. Poland, the United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines have expressed interest in the program.
5. South Korea was the ninth largest arms exporter during 2018-2022, and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute identified the Philippines, India, and Thailand as top customers during the same time period.
