According to ChosunBiz on March 24, 2024, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will oversee the production of 20 KF-21 Boramae fighter jets by June 2024. Subsequently, after completing air-to-air weapons verification tests, a contract for an additional 20 units is expected to be signed early next year, with delivery of a total of 120 units anticipated by 2032.
The original plan for the production schedule of South Korea’s first domestically produced supersonic fighter, the KF-21 Boramae, involved the mass production of 40 units by 2024. However, adjustments were made following recommendations from a business feasibility study conducted by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA). Based on KIDA’s findings, the number was reduced to 20 units to allow more time for thorough testing and verification of the aircraft’s integrated systems.
The decision to decrease the initial production batch from 40 to 20 units followed KIDA’s suggestion that the air-to-air missile and Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar integration tests were incomplete. This has led to concerns about potential gaps in the country’s air defense capabilities due to the phased-out F-4 and F-5 series fighters and the delayed deployment of the KF-21. According to the new plan, these 20 units are to be produced by June of this year, with the contract for an additional 20 units expected to be signed early next year after successful air-to-air weapons verification tests.
Moreover, there are financial concerns associated with the production reduction. The per-unit cost, initially estimated at around 80 billion won ($59,621,888), could increase to over 100 billion won ($74,527,360) if production is halved. This increase may affect the project’s financial viability and its global market competitiveness.