S. Korea completes flight tests for homegrown KF-21 fighter jet

▲ Officials pose for a group photo to mark the completion of flight tests for South Korea's first homegrown KF-21 fighter jet under development, in this photo provided by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Jan. 13, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

fighter jet-development

S. Korea completes flight tests for homegrown KF-21 fighter jet

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has successfully completed all planned flight tests for the KF-21 fighter jet under development, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday, with the country's first homegrown aircraft expected to sharply boost the military's air defense capabilities when deployed.

Following the rollout of the first KF-21 prototype in April 2021, officials have conducted around 1,600 flight tests without any accidents, and its final flight test took place Monday, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

DAPA officials said they were able to accelerate the flight test phase by about two months by expanding venues for the flight test and including an air-to-air refueling process in the test phase.

Officials plan to complete the development of the fighter jet by the first half of this year and deliver the first batch of the advanced fighter jet to the Air Force in the second half.

South Korea launched the KF-21 development program in 2015 to acquire a homegrown supersonic fighter to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of U.S.-made F-4 and F-5 jets. The first production model of the homegrown fighter jet entered final assembly in May last year.

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