Latest news with #KF-21
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
KAI secures second W2.4tr KF-21 deal with Korea's defense agency
Korea Aerospace Industries has signed an additional KF-21 supply agreement worth 2.39 trillion won ($1.76 billion), selling 20 more of South Korea's next-generation fighter jets. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Friday, KAI is poised to deliver 20 KF-21 Boramae jets in addition to the first contract for the initial production of 20 units signed in June last year. This deal also includes providing technical manuals, education and follow-up logistical support for the jets. The KF-21 is Korea's first domestically developed 4.5-generation fighter jet, which will be introduced to the Air Force starting in the second half of 2026. Historically, the country has relied on foreign military technology — predominantly from the US. The jet is set to replace older aircraft, including the F-5, F-4 Phantom II, KF-16 and F-15K, and bolster Korea's air power. Powered by two General Electric F414 engines, the jet can reach up to Mach 1.8 —approximately 2,200 kilometers per hour — and support a wide range of weapons such as air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs and a cannon. DAPA recently announced that it carried out a successful flight test of a domestically developed long-range air-to-surface guided missile, set to be integrated into the KF-21, highlighting the jet's deep-strike capabilities. The KF-21 also shows potential for exports to Indonesia, the UAE and other countries. Notably, Indonesia is a partner in the KF-21 fighter jet program and recently finalized a deal with Korea to fund 600 billion won as a contribution. 'The KF-21 symbolizes the remarkable growth of Korea's formerly nascent aerospace industry,' stated a KAI official. 'We are committed to enhancing our Air Force's capabilities and contributing to advancing the aerospace industry.' Meanwhile, DAPA signed an additional 623.2 billion won engine supply agreement with Hanwha Aerospace, a subsidiary of Hanwha Group, raising the total contract value to 1.18 trillion won. Its sister company, Hanwha Systems, also finalized a deal valued at 124.8 billion won for the remaining supply of AESA radars.
Korea Herald
25-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
S. Korea conducts separation test for homegrown long-range air-to-surface guided missile
The state arms procurement agency has successfully conducted a safe separation test for a homegrown long-range air-to-surface guided missile under development, officials said Wednesday. The test, which is aimed at verifying whether the missile clearly detaches from the aircraft without affecting its safety and functions, took place at an Air Force unit on Monday, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. DAPA plans to conduct various tests of the missile using a test FA-50 aircraft before verifying the missile on a KF-21 prototype starting in 2027, it said. Since 2018, South Korea has been seeking to develop long-range guided missiles to be equipped on the KF-21 to carry out precision strikes on key enemy targets. DAPA said the latest test marked a key milestone in the project and expected the guided missiles to be exported alongside the KF-21 to boost arms exports. (Yonhap)
The Star
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
South Korea agrees to cut Indonesia share in fighter jet project
JAKARTA/SEOUL (Bloomberg): Indonesian and South Korean officials have signed a revised deal that significantly lowers Jakarta's financial commitment to the joint KF-21 fighter jet program, a move aimed at reviving long-stalled progress on the multibillion-dollar project. South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Friday that the new deal reflects a resolution made last year to revise Indonesia's share of the development costs. In August, DAPA had said Indonesia would contribute 600 billion won to the project, equivalent to about US$438.4 million, marking a drop from 1.6 trillion won originally pledged. DAPA said Indonesia's defense ministry had begun administrative procedures to fulfill the revised payment, a step it said it expects will reinvigorate defense ties between the countries. It added that both sides also agreed to expand cooperation beyond fighter jets to include ground and maritime systems. Indonesia's defense ministry declined to immediately comment. The new deal comes years after defense officials from Southeast Asia's largest economy agreed to contribute roughly 20% of the more than 8 trillion won project as it sought to upgrade aging military fleets. The KF-21 Boramae, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, is intended to replace South Korea's fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighter jets. Indonesia is working on a localized variant known as IF-X, with state-owned Dirgantara Indonesia involved in assembly, maintenance, and production planning. Progress for the KF-21 program, aimed at producing a next-generation supersonic aircraft, was marred by funding disputes and other problems. Indonesia has been pursuing upgrades of its fleet of fighter jets on several fronts, including in an active contract with France's Dassault Aviation SA for 42 Rafale jets, signed in 2022 with an estimated value of $8.1 billion. Last week, Indonesian defense officials said they were in the early stages of evaluating an offer for China's J-10 fighters. This week, Turkey's president announced a deal to sell Jakarta 48 of its KAAN fighter jets currently under development. DAPA Director Seok Jong-gun, among the South Korean officials in Indonesia this week, said his visit marked a return to normal for defense ties between Seoul and Jakarta, moving on from what he described as a period of strain due to technical issues. -- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Korea Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korea, Indonesia finalize deal to cut Jakarta's KF-21 contribution
South Korea and Indonesia have finalized an agreement to set Jarkarta's contribution to the joint development of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet at 600 billion won ($437 million), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Friday. The agreement, signed during the Indo Defence exhibition in Jakarta earlier this week, follows more than a year of negotiations and delays surrounding payment terms and a diplomatic row over a technology leak. Indonesia has so far paid around 400 billion won. The remaining 200 billion won is to be paid under a revised schedule that is still under discussion with KAI, the DAPA explained. Indonesia initially joined the KF-21 program in 2016, agreeing to contribute around 1.7 trillion won — equivalent to 20 percent of the total development cost, according to DAPA — in exchange for technology transfer and co-development rights. The figure was later adjusted to 1.6 trillion won, with payments originally due by June 2026. In May 2023, Jakarta requested to reduce its contribution to 600 billion won and to accept a proportional reduction in technology transfer. It also asked to extend the payment deadline to 2034. Seoul also approved the poroposal later that year. However, the agreement was delayed after several Indonesian engineers at Korea Aerospace Industries were caught in January 2023 attempting to take classified KF-21 data stored on USB devices offsite, prompting Indonesia to protest the investigation. Tensions eased only after South Korean prosecutors cleared the engineers of charges and suspended prosecution on June 2. According to DAPA, the scope of technology transfer has yet to be finalized and will be determined after the KF-21's development phase concludes. Indonesia has also expressed interest in receiving a prototype aircraft, which may be negotiated in exchange for a further reduction in technology transfer.
The Star
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Indonesia to cut contribution to South Korea fighter jet project
SEOUL: South Korea and Indonesia signed an agreement cutting down Indonesia's contribution in a South Korea-developed fighter jet project to about 600 billion won (US$439 million), South Korea's defence procurement agency said on Friday (June 13). South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a statement that DAPA and Indonesia's defence ministry officials signed an agreement this week concerning the KF-21 jet (pic) development project. Indonesia's defence ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment. A decade ago, South Korea and Indonesia agreed to jointly develop the jet in a project worth 8.1 trillion won, with Jakarta agreeing to pay about 1.6 trillion won. However, Jakarta has since sought to renegotiate the deal, and last August Seoul decided to lower Jakarta's financial commitment to 600 billion won, as well as to make adjustments to its technology transfer plan, according to DAPA. Although the two countries agreed on the amount, additional discussions are needed on the payment deadline and the specific scope of tech transfer, Yonhap news agency said. Indonesia's defence ministry told DAPA it is undergoing administrative process to pay its remaining contribution to the KF-21 project, DAPA said. "If the contributions are paid as planned, we expect the defence cooperation between the two countries will gain momentum again," the agency said. - Reuters
