General Lee Young-su, Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force, and Major General Rashed Mohammed Al Shamsi, Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, visited the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) facilities. As part of the agreement, UAE representatives will be allowed to visit KF-21 testing units and observe the aircraft’s trials.
The cooperation will also enable Emirati pilots to fly prototype versions of the KF-21. Additionally, UAE personnel will be able to take part in South Korean military exercises involving the aircraft.
The KF-21 Boramae is a multirole fighter jet developed by South Korea using its domestic defence industry capabilities. The development programme began in December 2015, aiming to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force’s ageing F-4 and F-5 fleets.
The first KF-21 prototype made its maiden flight in July 2022. By the end of 2024, six prototypes had completed over one thousand flights in total.
The KF-21 programme has passed the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) phase. Limited production of pre-series aircraft is scheduled for 2026, with full-scale mass production planned for 2028.
