Only four months after the inaugural flight of the first prototype KF-21 Boramae, now the second prototype of the twin engine fighter jet designed by South Korea - Indonesia, on Thursday, November 10, 2022, has successfully carried out its maiden flight, namely by taking off and landing from the facility Korea Aerospace Industries near Sacheon airport, South Korea.
According to information from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), just like its predecessor (first prototype), the second prototype of the KF-21 Boramae was in the air for about 35 minutes.
The plane was flown by a test pilot from the 3rd Flying Training Wing of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), which is also based around the airport.
"Following the successful first flight of the second unit, this Korean-made fighter is expected to be able to conduct a test flight with two aircraft," DAPA said in a press release.
After completing preparations for ground tests and flight tests, the third to sixth prototypes of the KF-21 are scheduled to begin consecutive flight tests from late December 2022 to the first half of 2023.
The first prototype of the KF-21 Boramae first flew on July 19, 2022. The second prototype of the KF-21 differs from the first, in that it uses a darker color to test the paint that is most suitable for the fighter to be produced.
The KF-21 Boramae is the result of a long-running KF-X development program, a joint development between South Korea and Indonesia. GE Aviation, another partner of the project, supplies the F414 engines used in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen fighter jets.
Mass production of this 4.5 generation fighter will begin in 2026. The South Korean Air Force hopes to receive 120 KF-21 fighters by 2032 to replace the aging fighters, namely the F-4E Phantom and F-5E Tiger.
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