The KAI KF-21 ‘Boramae’ Development Programme (meaning “young eagle” or “fighter eagle” in Korean) has started since 2010 involving several countries such as Indonesia, Turkey and South Korea under other aviation industry companies such as Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries (or KAI for short) as the winning bidder. The KF-21 development project has attracted the interest of air forces from countries such as the Philippines, Peru and Poland. The initial idea of developing a Jet Fighter aircraft by South Korea was first expressed in 2001 by South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung during a graduation ceremony at the South Korean Air Force Academy. The South Korean Air Force at that time only relied on old fighter aircraft as the backbone of power in the air so it was necessary to develop new fighter aircraft that were more capable of protecting its airspace. South Korea’s development of the new aircraft initially caused a backlash from many who felt the aircraft development programme was too ambitious but various development and research requirements were finally determined and approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Korean Armed Forces in 2002. After many delays due to budget shortfalls and years of development, the first prototype successfully completed its first flight test on 19 July 2022, followed by six more prototypes on 28 June 2023.

In general, the expected specifications of the KAI KF-21 are to have the ability to carry out various missions with specifications and capacities above fourth-generation fighters such as France’s Dassault Rafale but not exceeding fifth-generation fighters such as the United States’ F-35 Lighting. The specifications offered by the KF-21 are also predicted to function as a multirole fighter with various capacities that are enhanced beyond those of the United States’ fighter jets. The aircraft is expected to be completed and enter mass production by 2026 with hundreds of units pre-ordered by various countries interested in the aircraft. Once mass production begins, the official name will be changed to the F-33 Fighting Hawk.

The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has an air force to be reckoned with in the East Asia region with the presence of the F-35 Lightning and various other modern fighter aircraft but the existence of the KF-21 Boramae will provide a variety of significant benefits both to ROKAF air power and to South Korea’s foreign policy. Some of the benefits of developing modern fighter aircraft for South Korea are reducing dependence on foreign equipment so that South Korea has sovereignty over its own combat equipment. Previously South Korea relied on products made in the United States with various adjustments to meet South Korean needs such as F-35 Lighting, KF-16 Fighting Falcon (a modified version of the F-16), UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and so on. South Korea’s military combat equipment products contribute to boosting the country’s economy through the sale of their products overseas.

South Korea’s successful military equipment products exported to other countries are also diverse such as the K9 VIDAR which is an export edition of self propelled artillery for the Norwegian armed forces, the K2 Black Panther which is a main battle tank (MBT) exported to the Polish armed forces, the T-50 Golden Eagle which is a light training jet exported to Indonesia, and various South Korean products exported to other countries. South Korea’s new fighter aircraft can increase their capacity to counter threats from neighbouring countries such as North Korea with its nuclear weapons and unknown military power and China with its huge military quantity. The project is also expected to add to the dignity and prestige of South Korea as a country with military power to be reckoned with in the region.