January 10th,According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea has planned to achieve mass production of the KF-21 stealth fighter in 2024. At present, a KF-21 stealth fighter has been tested under extreme conditions such as cold weather, high temperature climate, heavy rain, and Ice Formation at the Haemi Test Site of the South Korean Institute of Defense Science. If all goes well, then the KF-21 stealth fighter will officially enter service with the South Korean Air Force in 2026.
This timeline from the South Korean side reveals a lot of important information, such as, why is it planned to go into mass production in 2024, but it will not be until 2 years later, in 2026, for the KF-21 stealth fighter to officially join the combat sequence of the South Korean Air Force?
In general, a modern fighter can only be mass-produced only after it has passed various tests of the military and its performance has been officially recognized by the military. As long as the fighter officially enters the mass production process, it means that the performance of this fighter has been recognized by users.
However, the South Korean KF-21 stealth fighter is only going to be officially equipped with the South Korean Air Force after 2 years of mass production. So, why is this happening? ——Adapt the design to the needs of international users for subsequent export.
The KF-21 stealth fighter itself is divided into 3 different versions of Block1, Block2, and Block3, and the Block1 version is expected to produce 40 units by 2028.
The Block 2 version will add a stealth coating, and the stealth level is at the same level as the American F-117A stealth fighter, and has a full ground attack capability and sea attack capability, and is expected to produce 80 aircraft between 2028 and 2032.
The Block3 version will be directly benchmarked against the American-made F-35 stealth fighter, with the goal of replacing the American-made F-35A stealth fighter in the South Korean Air Force, which is considered a fifth-generation stealth fighter in the true sense. However, the progress is relatively late, and research and development will not start until around 2030.
With such a long time span, if we want to ensure the smooth birth of the KF-21 stealth fighter of the Block 3 version, then in addition to the 40 KF-21 BLOCK1 and 80 KF-21 BLOCK2 that South Korea will equip itself, South Korea also needs to find as many international users as possible for the KF-21 stealth fighter in order to find enough funds for the research and development of the KF-21 BLOCK3.
Although the Indonesian side has delayed some of the funding for the development of the KF-21 stealth fighter, Indonesia's determination to want the KF-21 stealth fighter remains. In addition, Poland, which has already purchased South Korean FA-50 light fighters, is also interested in South Korean KF-21 stealth fighters.
Therefore, the KF-21 stealth fighter after mass production should be modified accordingly according to the needs of identified international users and potential international users. Wait until the overall performance is basically determined, and then officially equip the South Korean Air Force to reduce the related risks.
So, will South Korea's KF-21 stealth fighter be the new opponent of China's J-20 stealth fighter?
As mentioned above, in fact, only the KF-3 fighter of the 21 version can be called a fifth-generation stealth fighter in the true sense of the word. Moreover, the Block 3 version of the KF-21 fighter is still aimed at the American F-35A stealth fighter. The F-35A is currently no match for the J-20 in air combat, let alone the South Korean KF-21 fighter.
If you have to find an opponent for South Korea's KF-21 fighter among Chinese fighters, I personally think that the BLOCK1 version of the KF-21 fighter should be aimed at China's J-10C fighter. The Block 2 version of the KF-21 fighter is aimed at the Chinese J-16 fighter. The Block 3 version of the KF-21 fighter is at most a benchmark for the Air Force version of the J-35 stealth fighter that may be added to the combat sequence of the Chinese Air Force in the future.
In general, the KF-21 fighter will indeed pose a certain threat to us once it is mass-produced and enters service with the South Korean Air Force. But this threat is acceptable, and if there is a need, we are more than adequate to deal with it.