 |
| ▲ South Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter jet under development on a test flight on Dec. 18, 2025, in this photo provided by its manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
S Korea-Indonesia-fighter jets
S. Korea to export 16 homegrown KF-21 fighter jets to Indonesia: sources
SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to sign a deal to export 16 KF-21 fighter jets to Indonesia, government sources said Thursday, in what would mark the first overseas sale of South Korea's indigenous fighter jet.
The two countries will conclude an agreement to export the fighter jets on the occasion of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's state visit to South Korea, scheduled from March 31 to April 2, according to the sources.
The final contract for the export deal will be concluded in the first half of the year following pricing negotiations, the sources said.
If realized, it would mark the first overseas export of homegrown fighter jets.
South 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 F-4 and F-5 jets.
Indonesia had originally agreed to shoulder about 20 percent of the project's cost as a partner country through June 2026 in return for Seoul's technology transfers and other conditions.
But Jakarta failed to keep up with payment deadlines and proposed lowering its contribution in exchange for reducing the level of technology transfers. Police conducted a probe into alleged technology theft by Indonesian engineers at Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., the KF-21's manufacturer.
The two countries inked a final deal in June last year to slash Jakarta's contribution to the joint jet project to 600 billion won (US$400 million), about one-third of the original amount.
The KF-21 fighter jet successfully completed its flight tests in January without any accidents. The state arms procurement agency plans to complete the development of the fighter jet by the first half of this year and deliver the first batch of the advanced fighter jet to the Air Force in the second half.
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
