Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter makes 1st sortie to mark delivery to Air Force
Korea's indigenous KF-21 fighter jet made its maiden flight Tuesday as part of an official ceremony marking its delivery to the Air Force, the armed service and arms procurement agency said. The first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae took to the skies from the Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. manufacturing plant in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, heading north to an Air Force unit in…
South Korea's indigenous KF-21 fighter jet successfully completed its maiden flight on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in the country's decades-long effort to develop an advanced supersonic aircraft. The first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae jet took off from the Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. manufacturing plant in Sacheon, located about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, and flew north to an Air Force unit in Yecheon, roughly 165 kilometers away.
This event was officially celebrated as part of a ceremony marking the delivery of the KF-21 to the Air Force, according to the armed service and arms procurement agency.
The ceremony saw the KF-21 make its debut alongside other aircraft, including an FA-50 light attack aircraft, a TA-50 fighter trainer, and a T-50 Golden Eagle jet trainer. These aircraft flew in formation, symbolizing the collective effort to advance South Korea's defense capabilities. The delivery of the KF-21 marks a major milestone in the nation's aviation history, following years of budget delays and feasibility reviews that began in earnest in 2015.
This project, initially proposed by then-President Kim Dae-jung in 2001, aimed to replace the now-retired F-4 fighters with a cutting-edge aircraft capable of supersonic speed.
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