IRIS-T Air-to-air Missile Selected for South Korean KF-21 Jet

Germany’s Diehl Defence said South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae fighter fired its IRIS-T air-to-air missile during tests conducted on April 4.

The European short-range air-to-air missile (identification AIM-2000) with its unrivalled close-in combat and intercept performance has been chosen to be integrated into the Korean indigenous fighter.

Just 10 months after the first flight, the fighter program has executed the first live firing.

The IRIS-T has already integrated into Eurofighter Typhoon, JAS-39 Gripen, F-16, EF-18, F-5 and Panavia Tornado.

With the introduction of the KF-21 Boramae into service expected for 2026, IRIS-T will be available for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) as the standard short-range missile for KF-21.