With Canada openly discussing reversing its decision to remain part of the F-35 program, some speculate about what aircraft Washington’s northern neighbor might turn to as an alternative. One of those mentioned—primarily for its stealthy-appearing design, similar to that of the US aircraft—is the KF-21 Boromae (Hawk).
The aircraft was produced by South Korea’s (ROK) leading military aerospace enterprise, Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), which first rolled out the next-generation domestically designed fighter in 2021. The KF-21 is supposed to be the next step in the Asian nation’s combat aircraft export business.
At the time, there were more than a few skeptics about whether KF-21 would be a real program. However, they may have ignored how far and fast the South Korean firm has come as an aircraft design firm.
The first such effort by KAI was the FA-50 two-seat combat aircraft, which first appeared in 2020 and was finally operational with the ROK Air Force (ROKAF) in 2013. It has since been sold in different combat and trainer variants to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Iraq, and 48 of the latest combat versions to Poland—the latter being the first sale to a NATO member state.
KF-21 Global Ambitions
The KF-21 is the next step in KAI’s long-term plans to become an international player in the defense market. Another step involves developing a single-seat fighter based on the FA-50 that would be designated “F-50.” (This is not to be confused with the recent new tailless “J-50” fighter design from Shenyang Aerospace in the People’s Republic of China first seen last December.)
That single-seat aircraft finally flew this month and is expected to be operational and in service by 2027. It is seen as a logical replacement for numerous countries that would like to have a new lightweight fighter that is also low-cost and utilizes mature technologies already in wide use worldwide (i.e., the GE F404 engine).
This revival of the previously proposed single-seat F-50 version had been set aside to allow the KF-21 development to be brought forward sooner. With these fighter aircraft programs and other initiatives, KAI is working on two strategic corporate objectives.
The KF-21 was a short-term goal of a $6.6 billion US project to replace the ROKAF’s aging F-4 and F-5 fighters. It has also been described as less expensive than other potential replacement options.
However, the KF-21 also plays a role in a longer-term strategic plan called “Global KAI 2050—Beyond Aerospace.” KAI representatives previously spoke to 19FortyFive about this corporation-wide effort, which aims to make the company the seventh-largest aerospace firm in the world.
Distant Cousin of the F-35?
Unlike the FA-50, which was developed in conjunction with Lockheed Martin (LM) and based on the F-16, the KF-21 is an all-KAI concept and was not derived from the F-35. However, it would appear almost a distant cousin of the US fighter at first glance.
The KF-21 also has a set of outwardly canted twin, vertical tails, and a blended-body fuselage that is consistent with the low radar cross-section (RCS) design technique. Senior KAI officials do not admit to having copied any details from the US fighter. But when the resemblances between the two were pointed out to them, they openly admitted that the attempts by both firms to produce a stealthy planform have produced two very similar-looking aircraft.
“Probably just a coincidence,” said one former LM executive when asked if the South Korean program could have somehow gained access to the F-35’s design information. However, the two are the same: both programs claim to offer a new generation of combat airpower for their customers. Both are equipped with the latest onboard systems—like an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
One discrepancy between the two is that the KF-21 is powered by two F414 engines instead of a single, larger engine like the US aircraft’s F135. A twin-engine platform also offers better survivability in the arctic conditions of northern Canada.
An F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., sits in a hangar ahead of operations for the F-35 Lightning II TDY, Oct. 28, 2021, at Joint Base San Antonio-Kelly Field, Texas. The 62nd FS will be training with F-16s from the 149th Fighter Wing and the 301st Fighter Wing, along with T-38s from the 301st Fighter Wing. The multi-role capabilities of the F-35 allows them to perform missions which traditionally required numerous specialized aircraft. The complimentary air superiority capabilities of the F-35 will augment our air superiority fleet and ensure we continue to “own the skies” over future battlefields. (U.S. Air Force photo by Brian G. Rhodes)
F-35 Fighter.
An F-35A Lightning II soars over Hill Air Force Base during a demonstration practice Jan. 10, 2020, at Hill AFB, Utah. The F-35 Demo Team is scheduled to perform at 22 airshows during the 2020 season. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook)
A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II approaches a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, July 22, 2020. The F-35 Lightning II is an agile, versatile, high-performance, multirole fighter that combines stealth, sensor fusion and unprecedented situational awareness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Duncan C. Bevan)
The company’s executive for North American sales, Jason Ahn, explained that “KF-21 will be substantially cheaper than the fourth-generation, front-line fighters ” in a recent interview at KAI’s manufacturing plant in Sacheon, South Korea. One of the most critical aspects of the aircraft’s “cheaper-to-own” aspect is its maintenance.
“This aircraft has better maintainability designed in from the get-go, compared to other fifth-generation fighters [such as the F-35] … we believe we have more—or better—flexibility in maintaining the aircraft.”
This less-expensive solution presented by the KF-21 could save Canada untold millions over the program’s life. The current government will have to decide what is more vital: the advantages of maintaining closer ties with the US or those associated with taking a more independent course.
Image Credit: Media Handout.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson is a survivor of the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and is an Expert on Foreign Military Affairs with the Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego in Warsaw. He has been a consultant to the Pentagon, several NATO governments and the Australian government in the fields of defense technology and weapon systems design. Over the past 30 years he has resided in and reported from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China and Australia
