South Korea is set to accelerate the decommissioning of its venerable F-5 fighter jets by the close of next year, signaling a major strategic shift as the nation prepares for the operational deployment of its groundbreaking, domestically developed KF-21 Boramae fighter jet.
During a press conference held Wednesday evening in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Son Seok-rak affirmed the accelerated timeline, stating, “We will move quickly to retire the F-5. We are preparing to have it retire honorably before the end of next year.” This underscores a pivotal moment for the South Korean Air Force.
The F-5, a U.S.-built light fighter aircraft developed by Northrop, has been a stalwart of the South Korean Air Force since its initial acquisition of F-5A/B variants in 1965, followed by F-5E models in the 1970s.
General Son’s announcement coincides with South Korea’s imminent operational deployment of the KF-21 Boramae, a cutting-edge 4.5-generation fighter jet developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). This advanced aircraft successfully completed its maiden test flight in July 2022, secured final combat suitability approval this month, and is slated for delivery to the ROK Air Force during the latter half of this year.
Earlier the same day, KAI CEO Kim Jong-chul revealed that the first mass-produced KF-21, officially rolled out on March 25, completed its inaugural flight in April and is currently undergoing rigorous test flights in anticipation of its early September delivery to the Air Force.
Kim emphasized the KF-21’s significance as a monumental achievement, providing South Korea with an indigenous combat aircraft platform. He highlighted its potential to bolster operational independence, expand the domestic defense industrial base, and lay a crucial foundation for the development of future advanced fighter jets.
“The fact that we now possess our own aircraft means we can independently attach and test various weapons on our platform,” Kim explained during a press briefing requested by the Air Force. “It has established the conditions for us to seamlessly integrate domestically developed weapon systems.”
This statement points to a key ongoing challenge for South Korea’s burgeoning fighter aircraft industry: cultivating a robust portfolio of indigenous air-launched weapons. Kim affirmed that the KF-21 program would enable South Korea to extensively test both domestic and foreign weapon systems on its own aircraft, ultimately paving the way for the export of KF-21 fighters equipped with Korean-made missiles.
According to KAI, the ambitious KF-21 program has successfully met over 13,000 test conditions and logged approximately 1,600 sorties without a single accident, demonstrating its reliability and safety.
KAI anticipates producing more than 20 KF-21 fighter jets annually through optimized automated production processes, Kim stated, adding that the company possesses the capacity to significantly increase output with additional strategic investment.
“There are no issues concerning deliveries to the Korean military,” Kim assured. “With enhanced efforts, we can achieve a production rate of around three aircraft per month, and with further investment, we have ample room to escalate production to 30 to 40 aircraft per year.”
Kim further indicated that KAI foresees substantial international demand for the KF-21, projecting potential sales of over 200 units overseas. He confirmed that active discussions are currently underway with several prospective partner countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Poland.
Additionally, KAI is engaged in talks with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia regarding potential collaborative partnerships for the future development and enhancement of the KF-21 platform, he added.
Addressing concerns about Hanwha’s increasing stake in KAI, Kim downplayed speculation that the prominent defense group could exert undue influence over the aircraft maker’s management decisions.
“At the current level, I do not believe it has reached that stage,” Kim clarified. “Given that we possess the core aircraft platform, companies like Hanwha and LIG Nex1 inherently need to cooperate closely with KAI. I view this as a constructive part of collaborative efforts within the defense ecosystem.”
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