South Korea’s air force has received its first serial-production KAI KF-21 Boramae, with the twin-seat Block I aircraft delivered on 22 September from Korea Aerospace Industries’ Sacheon plant to Yecheon Air Base in North Gyeongsang Province. The jet was formally accepted into service and assigned to the reactivated 156th Fighter Squadron, the first operational unit for the indigenous fighter.
The delivery moves the KF-21 from development and testing into frontline service. The first production aircraft is understood to carry serial number 001, and it joins a programme that began serial production after earlier acceptance trials and rollout work in 2026. South Korea plans to introduce 40 Block I aircraft in the initial production batch, with further deliveries expected through 2027 and 2028.
The air force expects to declare initial operational capability in the second half of 2027. The KF-21 is South Korea’s first locally developed fighter to enter operational service, giving the country a domestically designed platform for advanced combat-aircraft production and future fleet expansion.