South Korean KF-21 Fighter Jet Undergoing Taxiing Trials, First Flight in 3 Weeks

The South Korea’s indigenously made KF-21 fighter jet is undergoing low, medium and high-speed taxi tests on the run up to its first flight test scheduled for late July.

KF-21 Boramae fighter prototypes has been undergoing taxi tests from June 25, with the tests scheduled to be concluded by July 13. A taxi test examines the operability and structural soundness of 4.5-generation indigenous fighter. This is the last step before a first flight test. Completing high-speed taxi testing means a KF-21 prototype is all set for its first flight.

The taxing test of the KF-21 prototype No.1 was publicly conducted for the first time at the taxiways located inside the KAI headquarters in the city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

After taxi testing on July 6, Kim Nam-shin, chief of the KFX Program Management Team at KAI, confirmed to reporters that the company will conduct a flight test once it completes verifying the structural integrity of aircraft and safety of components through low, medium and high-speed taxi tests.

The KF-X program consists of two stages over 13 years. The first stage focuses on developing aircraft and integrated logistics systems between 2015 and 2026. The second phase aims to develop KF-X's ability to carry out air-to-surface missions between 2026 and 2028.

KAI will reportedly begin flight testing its experimental KF-21 prototype in the third or fourth week of this month. Starting with a 40-minute test flight expected for this month, KAI will conduct a combined 2200 flight tests between this July and 2026 with six KF-21 flyable fighter prototypes. The company has already finished working on four single-seat prototypes, two twin-seat prototypes, and two ground-testing models, The Korea Herald reported.

Flight tests will verify the safety of fighter aircraft first. The scope of tests will be gradually expanded to examine altitude, speed, maneuverability, in-flight performance and handling, among other qualities. Weapon control systems will also be inspected, including the separation and launch of air-to-air weapons.

The first flight test comes less than seven years after KAI started developing systems for KF-21 fighter aircraft in December 2015.

The KF-21 program also seeks to greenlight mass production of the aircraft in the first quarter of 2024, Col. Noh Ji-man, who leads the KF-X Program Group at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said Wednesday during a press briefing at KAI headquarters. "To that end, KF-21 fighter prototypes should pass an interim test to assess and measure their operational suitability for combat."

Col. Noh added that the test will be scheduled for November 2023.

The final, full-scale assessment of the operational effectiveness and suitability of KF-21s will be carried out around four years from now, when the first stage of the KF-21 development project is expected to be finished.

The KF-21 will be a 4.5-generation fighter equipped with air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-2000 by Germany-based Diehl and the Meteor by Britain's MBDA. It employs various high-end technologies, including an AESA  radar that tracks multiple targets with more advanced and efficient components. It also has an infrared search and track (IRST) system that detects low-flying targets that emit infrared radiation, including anti-ship missiles.

During the second phase of the project, South Korea will prepare air-to-surface combat capabilities of the KF-21, including missiles produced by U.S.-based Raytheon Technologies, Boeing and General Dynamics, as well as local firms such as Hanwha and LIG Nex1.