This Dec. 18, 2025, photo, provided by Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., shows the KF-21 fighter jet under development. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s homegrown KF-21 fighter jets under development will be fitted with air-to-ground capabilities starting in 2027, ahead of schedule, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday.
The plan comes as authorities plan to spend around 700 billion won (US$472 million) to conduct a series of tests involving 10 different types of air-to-ground weapons until the end of 2028, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The plan is expected to secure ground attack capabilities for the homegrown fighter jet around 1 1/2 years earlier than planned, in a move strengthening the Air Force’s strength and positively affecting potential exports, DAPA said.
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 jets, including the F-5. The first production model of the indigenous fighter jet entered final assembly in May.
A homegrown KF-21 fighter jet flies during the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of the capital, in this file photo taken Oct. 17, 2025, as the one-week international defense exhibition kicked off with a record 600 companies from 35 countries expected to showcase advanced military hardware and technologies. (Yonhap)
(Yonhap)
