Sokor KF-21 Threats to F-16, Euro Fighters in Ph Market

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CLARK, Philippines – A business executive of the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) said their KF-21 (Boramae or known too as KF-X) is a candidate for the Philippines needs of a multirole combat jets.

Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 multirole fighter jet with its smaller drones used for electronic intelligence (ELINT), Electronic Warfare (EW), optical reconnaissance, and anti-radar purposes. (Eurasiantimes.com)

“Actually, Philippines armed forces interest of getting the multiple-role fighter jet in the near future and I heard KF-21 can be considered as one of the candidates,” disclosed to this writer by Hyaonjin Ha, the International Business Development for Asia Executive of KAI, at its booth that displayed a model of the homegrown KF-21 in the Haribon Hangar here. The booth is one of the several booths brought by Korean arms and technology manufacturers during the recent Korea Air Force staged three-day air shows to mark the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and South Korea.

The two-engine KF-21 Block-2 will compete with the U.S made General Dynamic-Lockheed Martin's F-16 Falcon Block 70/72 and Sweden’s Saab produced Gripen JAS Series E in the multirole jet needs of the military in the Philippines.

The Block-2 is superior to the F-16 Viper and Europe made fighters like the Dassault Aviation’s Rafale Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo’s Typhoon and Saab’s Gripen JAS E.

It carries four stealth drones or adoptable area platform (AAP) as seen on its model display here where this writer and some Filipino fighter pilots - clad on their green jumpsuits - milled around them with curiosity.

“It can be launched from the KF-21 but they are also can be launched from the ground or we can carry this one to the cargo or from the air,” said by Mr. Ha in his non-accented fluent English on the AAPs.

A prototype of the KF-21 Boramae flies over Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, March 28, 2023, during a test flight. Photo courtesy of Defense Acquisition Program Administration. 

SUPERIORITY

KF-21 stealth capabilities exceeds those of Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon but less than of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. (1)

The Weapon Systems Concept Development and Application Research Center of Konkuk University advised that the KF-X should be superior to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, with 50% greater combat range, 34% longer airframe lifespan, better avionics, more active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, more-effective electronic warfare, more data link capabilities, and approximately 50,000 pounds-force.

It is a 4.5 generation fighter. ⁽²⁾

^{KF-21 resembles the stealthier F-35 of the United States after KAI disregarded the European delta wing design it earlier submitted. Its airframe however does not carry weapons in internal bays like fifth-generation fighters, though that internal bays may be introduced in later development. (3)}

FEATURES

“We will finish the Phase-1 development and the manufacturing until 2026 and we will deliver to the (inaudible), Mr. Ha told this writer.

It has a larger airframe with room for upgrades that could lead to a future reclassification as a fifth-generation fighter.  KAI partnered with Lockheed Martin – the maker of the F-16 and the F-35 - for technological support.(4) The contract formed a plan for delivery of the aircraft to begin in 2026.

Lockheed Martin transferred two dozen F-35A technologies as part of a purchase deal with KAI. The US government however blocked the transfer of four vital technologies: AESA radar, infrared search and track (IRST), electro-optical targeting pod (EO TGP), and radio frequency jammer (RF jammer) technologies. The South Korean manufacturers however developed those technologies.

The first test fly of KF-21 was on July 19 2022 after it used six flying prototypes, including the two two-seat versions and conducted 2,200 flights. Its mass production of the 40 Block-1 jets begins in 2024. (6). The Block-1 jets have an interim capability of limited air-to-air interdiction. Its first customers will be South Korea and Indonesia. Mass production of the multirole 80 Block-2 jets will start on 2026. Later developments of the Block-2 will include equipping it with a domestically developed air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) and hypersonic missile. (7)

The Block 2 was what KAI intends to sell to the Philippines, Peru and Poland.

The KAI KF-X is South Korea's second domestic fighter jet development program after the successful FA-50 supersonic light multi-role aircraft. The Philippines bought 12 FA-50 in 2014 at P18.9 billion under the administration of President Benigno Aquino, Jr.

PERFORMANCES

KF-21 has a maximum speed of 2,200 km/h (1,400 mph, 1,200 kn) or Mach 1.81.
It has a combat range of 1,000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi) and a ferry range of 2,900 km (1,800 mi, 1,550 nmi) (8)

 SUPERIOR JETS FOR PH. Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) Executive Hyaonjin Ha, head of the International Business Development for Asia of KAI, discusses with Northern Watch Newspaper Editor Mortz C. Ortigoza at its booth in Clark, Pampanga that the multi-billion-dollar conglomerate is willing to supply the Philippines its superiority two-engine multirole fighters after it starts to mass produce from its plant the lethal aircraft a few years from now.

ARMAMENTS

It has the following weapons:

Guns:

 1× 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary autocannon.

 Hard Points:

 10 (6 under-wing hard points and 4 under-fuselage hard points).

 Air-to-Air Missiles:

 MBDA Meteor; AIM-120 AMRAAM; Diehl IRIS-T; AIM-9X Sidewinder; ASRAAM (planned).

 Air-to-Surface Missiles:

Taurus KEPD 350; AGM-65 Maverick; Korean long-range air-to-ground guided missile (Block 2 improvement); MBDA Brimstone (planned); SPEAR 3 (planned); Anti-ship missiles: AGM-84 Harpoon; Taurus KEPD 350; SPEAR 3 (planned); Dual-purpose ordnance (with both anti-ship and land-attack capability): Taurus KEPD 350; Korean Air-to-Ship Guided Missile-II (planned); SPEAR 3 (planned).

Bombs:
Normal bombs: CBU-87 CEM; CBU-97 SFW; GBU-39 SDB (Block 2 improvement); Mark 82 bomb (Block 2 improvement); Mark 84 bomb (Block 2 improvement); Precision guided bombs: JDAM; GBU-54/56 LJDAM (Block 2 improvement); GBU-12 LGB (Block 2 improvement); KGGB (Block 2 improvement);
CBU-105 WCMD (10)

 

Mr. Ha could not say the exact year KF-21 can be delivered to the Philippines in case the latter wants to procure a squadron of the jets.

“It is really hard to talk… we have not on the stage of mass production at this point so it is hard to tell,” the Executive told this writer after he badgered him to have a guess of the date of the multirole jets delivery in case the Philippines buy them.

 While KAI was the primary builder of the aircraft, numerous other domestic and foreign companies were contracted to provide its components or support. Several of these firms had worked with KAI on the T-50 – the training version of the FA-50.

During a visit to South Korea in April 2023 of Sebastian Chwałek, chairman of the PGZ (Polish Armaments Group), he expressed Poland's desire to participate in the KF-21 project as a development partner in 2026 when Block-2 begins. It is reported that the Polish government discusses the possibility of acquiring Indonesia's stake in the program by paying the ₩800 billion in overdue contribution funds that it failed to pay. PGZ reportedly plans to deliver a letter of intent to participate in development partners to the Seoul soon through the Polish government. (8)

Just like the Saab made Gripen JAS C/D and E/F, the KAI made jet, the KF-21 Block-2 has lower operational cost not to mention its less expensive purchase price, too.

The introduction of the KF-21 in the market will have a ripple effect on multirole jet manufacturers globally.

 References

1.     "KF-X Fighter: Korea's Future Homegrown Jet". Defense Industry Daily. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.

2.      "KF-X Fighter: Korea's Future Homegrown Jet". Defense Industry Daily

3.      Roblin, Sebastien (13 April 2021). "Korea's New KF-21 Jet Isn't A Stealth Fighter—But Could Evolve Into One". The National Interest. Retrieved 21 April 2021.

4.       "KF-X Fighter: Korea's Future Homegrown Jet". Defense Industry Daily

5.      "국방기술 연구개발 투자 1조 원 시대를 열다". Defense Acquisition Program Administration. 6 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.

6. "KFX/IFX program is continued, Government should chose the design (Translation from Indonesian)".

7. Jung Sung-li (6 October 2009). "Probe Into Foreign Defense Firms May Widen". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.

1.  8.  "한국형 전투기 KF-X 시제기 출고식 - [끝까지 LIVE] MBC 중계방송 2021년 04월 09일". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.

9.  "KF-21 Next-Generation Fighter". Korea Aerospace Industries. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

10.  Kang Heon (7 March 2023). "앞으로 남은 시간 36개월, 순항 중인 KF-21 보라매". Uberin. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.