Jet Fighter Localization

The FA-50 light fighter jet.
The FA-50 light fighter jet.

 

Military authorities are working on the development of KF-X fighters for deployment in 2023. 

“The Boramae Project has launched this year to develop over 120 Korean Fighter eXperimental planes,” said a high-ranking military official on January 5, adding, “The prototype will come out in 2023, and then the deployment will be completed over the following seven to eight years.”

20 billion won (US$18.9 million) has been allocated for the purpose in this year’s defense budget. The basic plan for the Boramae Project for the manufacturing of mid-sized fighters passed the Defense Acquisition Program Committee in April 2010, and the Agency for Defense Development led exploratory development between June 2011 and late 2012. However, there has been some delay during the commissioned research for feasibility studies and the period of deployment has been put off from between 2020-2027 to 2023-2030. 

“The government has to move ahead with the project instead of just asking questions to experts,” said an official at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, continuing, “We can say that it is ready because the fighters can be developed based on the FA-50 light fighter jet.”

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