The prototype jet took a 33-minute roundtrip flight from an air force base in the southern city of Sacheon, said South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The pilot, Maj. Ahn Jun-hyun, admitted to being nervous beforehand, but said that after take off “everything went smoothly so I flew the whole flight route as planned.”
The jet is the first of a fleet of six KF-21 prototypes made by Korea Aerospace Industries that will conduct more than 2,000 test flights from now until 2026, when mass production and deployment will begin, DAPA said.
A total of 120 jets are expected to be delivered to the South Korean air force by 2030.
Once operational, the KF-21 is expected to be armed with a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles — and possibly even air-launched cruise missiles. The twin-engine fighters will come in single- and two-seat versions.
On Tuesday, the jet was equipped with four mock-up Meteor air-to-air missiles and an infrared search-and-track system,…
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