
AI-generated summary
South Korea has started the research and development of domestic fighter jets since 2001 during the Kim Dae-jung period. It officially established the KF-21 project in 2015 and flew the first prototype in 2021. After years of testing, the first mass-produced aircraft will be delivered in 2024.
South Korea's first mass-produced KF-21 Falcon fighter jet was officially delivered to the South Korean Air Force on the 22nd. (European News Agency)
[Real-time News/Comprehensive Report] The first mass-produced KF-21 "Falcon" supersonic fighter developed by South Korea was officially delivered to the South Korean Air Force on the 22nd.
South Korea's first mass-produced KF-21 Falcon fighter jet flew to Yecheon Base in North Gyeongsang Province on the 22nd. (European News Agency)
Yonhap News Agency reported that the delivery ceremony for the first mass-produced KF-21 aircraft was held on the 22nd at the Sacheon Factory of South Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. After the ceremony, the fighter jet flew to Yecheon Base in North Gyeongsang Province.
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The KF-21 is a 4.5-generation multi-purpose fighter independently developed by South Korea. It will replace old fighters such as F-4 and F-5 in the future to adapt to changes in the future battlefield environment. Its name means "the main force that promotes the Air Force to become a cutting-edge aerospace force in the 21st century" and "domestic fighter aircraft that defends the Korean Peninsula in the 21st century."
South Korea's late former President Kim Dae-jung announced a plan to develop its own military aircraft in March 2001. South Korea subsequently launched the research and development of the KF-21 system in December 2015, launched the first prototype in April 2021, and successfully completed its first test flight in July 2022.
The KF-21 has since undergone more than 1,600 flight tests, completing verification of aerial refueling, air-to-air weapon launch performance and other projects. In May this year, the KF-21 passed the operational suitability assessment, and the system development work was completed in June.
The South Korean Air Force plans to officially deploy the KF-21 to its troops in the second half of next year, and is expected to gradually introduce more than 100 KF-21 fighters before the early 2030s.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The South Korean Air Force will officially deploy KF-21 fighters in the second half of next year
Very likely · Within months
South Korea will gradually introduce more than 100 KF-21 fighters by the early 2030s
Likely · Within years

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