Korea Aerospace signs second KF-21 production deal worth $1.76 bil.

Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Thursday it has signed a second contract with the state defense procurement agency to produce KF-21 fighter jets, valued at 2.39 trillion won ($1.76 billion). The deal with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) covers the production of 20 KF-21 units, along with follow-up logistics support, including technical manuals and training, KAI said in a press release. The latest agreement is part of DAPA's program, approved in early 2024, to deliver a total of 40 KF-21 fighter jets to the Air Force by 2028. KAI signed a 1.96 trillion-won deal with DAPA to produce the first batch of 20 KF-21s in June 2024. The first batch of the KF-21 fighter jets are scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force starting in the second half of 2026, according to the release. Korea launched the KF-21 development program jointly with Indonesia in 2015 to develop a homegrown supersonic fighter to replace its aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets. DAPA has been conducting a series of performance tests on six KF-21 prototypes since theWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times