KF-21 fighters to be fitted with ground attack capabilities starting 2027

Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter jets under development will be fitted with air-to-ground capabilities starting in 2027, ahead of schedule, the state arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The plan comes as authorities plan to spend around 700 billion won ($472 million) to conduct a series of tests involving 10 different types of air-to-ground weapons until the end of 2028, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The plan is expected to secure ground attack capabilities for the homegrown fighter jet around 1 1/2 years earlier than planned, in a move strengthening the Air Force's strength and positively affecting potential exports, DAPA said. Korea launched the KF-21 development program in 2015 to acquire a homegrown supersonic fighter to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of U.S.-made jets, including the F-5. The first production model of the indigenous fighter jet entered final assembly in May.