Meet Korea's New Fighter Jet - The KF-21


The brand-new KF-21 Boramae Stealth Fighter, also known as the Fighting Hawk, launched from Sacheon Air Base near Busan on July 19, 2022. Many experts are unsure if the KF-21 will revolutionize the military aviation market or if it will only serve as a costly marketing gimmick for the Korean defense sector.

Over the years, problems have plagued this joint project between South Korea and Indonesia, and many have questioned its purpose and viability. However, the successful development of the T-50 and subsequent FA-50 combat variant by KAI, or the Korean aerospace industry, has shown that they are more than capable of creating a supersonic jet. The future now looks bright for the Korean defense sector and terrifying for South Korea's adversaries thanks to a breakthrough into the European market, with Poland purchasing 48 of the jet.

The history of the KF-21, or better yet, the KF-X, began in the early 2000s, specifically in 2002, but it wasn't until one major event that it really took off. 2010 saw artillery fire exchanged over the 38th parallel as North Korea1 and South Korea were on the verge of war. The Korean government then recognized how urgently it needed a new plane.

It continued to work on the KF-X program because it was now resolved to get some significant weaponry for a confrontation that had been brewing for close to 50 years. For this new Korean jet, several types were offered, including the C-103, a two-engine aircraft similar to the F-35, the C-203, which looked like a fighter from Europe, and the future J-20 from China. There was also the C-501, the single-engine variant that was the simplest. Ultimately, the C-103 design family was chosen because single-engine aircraft were unable to meet the government's specifications, while the C-203 design family was dropped because an agreement with possible European partners fell through.

From this point forward, the C-103 family's development varied over time. Take note of how the design evolved from an F-35 to the F-22 Raptor. The C-109, which was given the go-ahead for the prototype phase, has earned the moniker "Korean Raptor" due to its remarkable resemblance to the F-22. But this jet also has a few more characteristics that really change the game.

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