Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) introduced on Dec. 18 that it has signed a contract with the Protection Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) for the extra armament testing mission for the Korean Fighter Plane (KF-21).
The contract worth is 685.9 billion gained. With the conclusion of this extra armament testing mission contract, steady improvement will probably be attainable by means of preparation for flight take a look at verification of air-to-ground capabilities earlier than the completion of the at the moment ongoing system improvement mission.
The extra armament testing mission will probably be carried out till December 2028, and take a look at evaluations and efficiency verification will probably be performed to broaden the KF-21’s capabilities from the present air-to-air armament operation vary to air-to-ground armament capabilities.
KAI plans to concurrently pursue take a look at evaluations of air-to-ground armament capabilities in addition to air-to-ground capabilities of energetic electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and main avionics tools, and is anticipated to safe complete operational capabilities of the fighter plane upon mission completion.
The KF-21 further armament testing mission will apply a phased take a look at analysis strategy to allow verified capabilities to be deployed sequentially. The KF-21 further armament testing mission will conduct take a look at evaluations in three phases based on the system improvement fundamental plan modification authorized by means of the Protection Mission Promotion Committee in August, and based mostly on the verification outcomes of every section’s take a look at evaluations, air-to-ground capabilities initially scheduled to be utilized from the top of 2028 will probably be sequentially secured early from the primary half of 2027. KAI is at the moment producing the primary batch of KF-21s for supply to the Air Pressure ranging from the second half of subsequent 12 months.
Cha Jae-byung, CEO of KAI, mentioned, “The profitable implementation of phased take a look at evaluations for extra KF-21 armaments will function a chance to exhibit personalized testing and verification capabilities tailor-made to future buyer necessities,” including, “It’ll even have a constructive influence on increasing protection exports.”
