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| A KF-21 fighter prototype fighter conducting a test flight is seen in this file photo released by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Jan. 17. Yonhap |
A test flight of South Korea's domestically produced KF-21 Boramae fighter with an advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar mounted has been conducted successfully, the arms procurement agency said Saturday, in the latest sign of progress in the advanced jet's development.
A third prototype took off from the Air Force's 3rd Flying Training Wing in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, at 10 a.m. and completed an 84-minute flight, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
This prototype conducted its successful maiden flight in January. The first and second KF-21 prototypes carried out their maiden flights in July and November last year, respectively.
In January, a fourth prototype ― this one a two-seater ― also had a maiden flight.
The agency said it plans to start conducting flights of two more prototypes in the first half of the year under a plan to conduct 2,000 test flights in total by February 2026.
Launched in 2015, the 8.8 trillion-won (US$6.8 billion) KF-21 project is aimed at developing a supersonic fighter to replace South Korea's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets.
The first KF-21 prototype achieved supersonic speed for the first time in a test flight last month. (Yonhap)
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