SEOUL, July 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Wednesday officially wrapped up the development of its first homegrown KF-21 fighter jet, more than a decade after launching the project to replace the country's aging fleet of fighter jets, the state arms procurement agency said.

The event commemorating the completion of the development project for the indigenous fighter jet is set to take place at the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.

The 8.8 trillion-won (US$6.04 billion) project formally took off in 2015 to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of U.S.-made F-4 and F-5 jets.

The project saw the rollout of the first KF-21 prototype in April 2021, and the fighter jet passed the final combat suitability review in May this year, clearing all performance requirements for missions.

Officials have since carried out more than 1,600 flight trials without any accidents, according to officials.

"The success of the KF-21 is a splendid accomplishment that was possible due to the blood and sweat of technicians, and also the support of the public, who believed in the power of our technical skills," DAPA Minister Lee Yong-cheol said.

"We will promote the excellence of KF-21 jets and once again demonstrate the nation's strength by achieving self-reliant national defense through technological independence," he added.

With the completion of this project, DAPA plans to deliver the first advanced fighter jet to the Air Force in September.

Wednesday's event will be attended by officials from the state-run Agency for Defense Development and Korea Aerospace Industries, along with defense ministry officials from Indonesia.

Jakarta had joined as a partner of the development project, agreeing to share development costs in exchange for technology transfers, a prototype and other conditions.

DAPA plans to deliver the first batch of 40 KF-21 fighter jets, primarily equipped with air-to-air combat capabilities, to the Air Force by 2028. It aims to produce an additional 80 aircraft with enhanced capabilities by 2032, deploying a total of 120 to the Air Force.

sookim@yna.co.kr

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