KF-21 Boramae

South Korean-led 4.5-generation multirole fighter developed with Indonesia to replace aging F-4 and F-5 fleets, featuring a low-observable-shaped airframe without internal weapons bays. Entered low-rate initial production for the Republic of Korea Air Force with a future AESA-equipped, more-stealthy Block upgrade path planned.

Max speed

2,200 km/h

Range

2,900 km

Payload

7,700 kg

💲 Estimated unit cost, early production

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 2,200 km/h

50th pct in class
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.: 1.81 Mach

25th pct in class
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 2,900 km

17th pct in class
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.: 700 km

8th pct in class
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 16,700 m

42th pct in class
Thrust-to-weight Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.: 1

25th pct in class

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.: 10

17th pct in class
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 7,700 kg

17th pct in class

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.: chaff, flares, radar warning receiver
Signature reduction Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified.: Reduced radar cross-section airframe shaping with sawtooth panel edges; no internal weapons bay

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 16.9 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 11.2 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 4.7 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 11,700 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 25,600 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 1

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 2x General Electric F414-GE-400K afterburning turbofans
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).: 98 kN

17th pct in class
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: Hanwha Systems AESA
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: infrared search and track (IRST), electro-optical targeting pod
Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.: Link 16-compatible datalink

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.: $65,000,000

64th pct in class
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 20

0th pct in class
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 2

33th pct in class

Specifications compiled from public Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.

Frequently asked questions

What is the top speed of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae has a maximum speed of 2,200 km/h.

What is the range of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae has a maximum range of 2,900 km.

What is the weapons payload of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae can carry up to 7,700 kg of weapons payload.

How much does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae weigh? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae has a combat weight of 25,600 kg.

How many crew does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae require? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae requires a crew of 1.

What is the main armament of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae's primary weapon is the 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon.

What engine does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae use? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae is powered by the 2x General Electric F414-GE-400K afterburning turbofans.

What is the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae used for? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae is a fighter aircraft typically used for multirole combat, air superiority, close air support.

How many countries operate the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae is operated by 2 countries.

How much does the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae cost? +

The Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae has an approximate unit cost of 65,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.