The South Korean company KAI has planned to roll out the first flight model of the promising KF-X fighter for April 2021. According to Flightglobal, the company's specialists are currently completing the assembly of a combat aircraft, which, according to current plans, will make its first flight in 2022.
The KF-X fighter is created in single-seat and two-seat versions. The aircraft will be 16.9 meters long, with a wingspan of 11.2 meters and a height of 4.7 meters. The maximum take-off weight of the fighter will be 25.4 tons. The aircraft will be able to fly at speeds up to Mach 1.9.
The advanced fighter will receive 10 suspension points for missiles, bombs and various hanging containers. The first flight model is created in a single-seat version.
The development of the fighter is planned to be completed by 2026, after which the Korean military will begin to purchase the KF-X. The South Korean Air Force plans to purchase 120 new aircraft by 2032. They will have to replace the outdated F-4 Phantom II and F-5 Freedom Fighter / Tiger II.
Serial production of the new aircraft is planned for 2028. The first batch of fighters will not have a full range of weapons, but from 2029, the aircraft will be produced in full combat configuration.
Vasily Sychev
