Korea Aerospace Industries targets delivering the first 20 KF-21 Boramae Block I fighter jets to the South Korean government by the end of 2026.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration awarded the company a $1.41 billion production contract in June to manufacture the Block I batch of the aircraft, which KAI has been developing since 2015 as a replacement for F-4 and F-5 fighters.
Jinseok Song, who works on the company’s KF-21 development program, previously revealed plans to produce 40 units of Block I and 80 units of Block II aircraft, Defense News reported.
However, the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses recommended limiting the order to 20 jets until the aircraft is proven to meet performance requirements.
The Block I batch delivery is expected to be completed in August 2027.
KAI aims to increase its production localization rate to 65 percent to accelerate the manufacturing process and transfer of KF-21 units to the government.