The KF-X 1st Prototype Aircraft Revealed

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu]The Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-X), which will protect the airspace over the Korean Peninsula, is finally revealed as a 'complete unit.'

On the afternoon of the 9th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will hold the rollout ceremony for the first KF-X prototype at the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) production plant in Sacheon, Gyeongnam. Developed as a 4.5-generation fighter, the KF-X will replace the Air Force's aging F-4 and F-5 fighters.

The KF-X system development project is known as the 'largest project since the founding of the armed forces,' with a total project cost reaching 18.6 trillion KRW, including 8.6 trillion KRW for development expenses.

The government has been advancing the KF-X project by sharing the total project cost jointly with Indonesia.

The rollout ceremony marks the first time the fighter, previously only existing as design blueprints, is completed in physical form and revealed outside the hangar to the public. The rollout of the first prototype is a result achieved over five years since DAPA and KAI began system development in January 2016.

It is also the fruition of a 20-year effort since the Kim Dae-jung administration in 2001 set goals for independent space launch vehicles, launch sites, and next-generation domestic fighters.

About 250 people, including key government, National Assembly, and military officials, business leaders, and foreign diplomatic corps in Korea, will attend the ceremony. Indonesia’s Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto will also be present.

The KF-X was developed entirely under the leadership of domestic engineers from design through production. It succeeded in domesticating core equipment, including the four major avionics: Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Infrared Search and Track (IRST), Electro-Optical Targeting Pod (EO TGP), and Electronic Warfare Suite (EW Suite).

DAPA plans to achieve a 65% localization rate based on the first mass-produced unit. Further localization is expected during the subsequent mass production process.

Since the fighter is considered a culmination of advanced scientific technology in both hardware and software, the government expects significant ripple effects once development is completed.

DAPA aims to complete ground testing by the first half of next year, conduct the first test flight in July, and finish system development by 2026. Following this, the KF-X will be sequentially deployed in line with mass production plans.

With the completion of development, Korea will become the 13th country in the world to develop an indigenous fighter jet. Additional armament tests are scheduled between 2026 and 2028, with full operational deployment expected around 2032.

A DAPA official evaluated, "The rollout of the prototype signifies a meaningful achievement in the development process, as it materializes the fighter that existed only as blueprints and enters the stage of performance evaluation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.