Plans were unveiled for the development of three derivative versions of South Korea’s next-generation fighter, the KF-21 “Boramae”. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and agencies belonging to South Korea’s Ministry of Defense began work on the electronic attack KF-21 EA, the performance-enhanced KF-21 EX and the KF-21 SA for exports.
As reported by Bizhankook, the development of these variants is part of a major strategy to strengthen Korean Defense and increase export prospects. However, it is still at an early stage and is expected to take considerable time before actual serial production.
KF-21 EA electronic fighter aircraft
The KF-21 EA (for Electronic Attack) will be an electronic warfare and strike fighter, similar to the U.S. Navy’s Boeing EA-18G Growler, with the mission to suppress or destroy enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD missions) in order to open safe corridors for other allied fighter aircrafts to attack their targets on the ground.
단독 보도입니다. KF-21의 세 가지 개량형이 현재 연구중으로 알려졌습니다. 수출형 SA, 전자전기 EA, 그리고 과거 블록3로 불렸던 EX입니다. 셋 다 아직 초기 연구중이라 실체화되기에는 많은 시간이 필요합니다만, 주의깊게 지켜봐야 합니다. https://t.co/LqvzW62HCb
— Minseok (James)Kim (@RAMAE101) June 17, 2024
It will be based on the two-seat KF-21B, where the rear seat will be converted into the workstation of an electronic warfare operator. Two electronic intelligence gathering (ESM) devices for detection, identification, analysis and localization of surrounding radio waves emitted by enemy radars will be located on the wingtips.
The aircraft will incorporate three electronic attack pods, two of which will jam high-frequency radars and the third will be in charge of low-frequency radars, thus being able to cover almost all frequencies used by the adversary. On the basis of the information received and processed by the ESM systems, the electronic warfare operator will decide whether to jam the radars considered dangerous, or to attack them directly with anti-radiation missiles such as the AARGM-ER (AARGM Extended Range), that are likely to be incorporated.
KF-21 EX enhanced performance
It is an upgraded version of the Boramae, which would already be part of the so-called 5th generation fighter aircraft, such as the American F-35 “Lightning II”. From the beginning, KAI conceived the KF-X project as an evolutionary design, which would acquire more advanced capabilities in different building blocks.
The first KF-21s to be built for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) will belong to Block 1 and are considered 4.5-generation aircraft, with a low radar silhouette, similar to that of a Dassault Rafale or Boeing Super Hornet, and fifth-generation domestic electronics. Next would come the Block 2 aircrafts, which will have a more advanced construction and will house their armament internally, achieving a radar discreteness similar to that of an F-117 “Nighthawk”. Finally, Block 3 would be developed, for which it was expected to have achieved levels of observability as low as those of the F-35 or F-22. But apparently, with the KF-21 EX, Korea would seek to bypass the aforementioned Block 2, and fully enter the league of 5th generation fighters.
To reach 5th generation fighter performance levels, the KF-21 EX will have an internal weapons bay with space for 4-8 long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles or compact smart air-to-ground weaponry, which will reduce its radar signature.
Furthermore, the external optoelectronic target acquisition and laser illumination system will be replaced with a newly designed one integrated into the aircraft’s fuselage, similar to the F-35’s EOTS. It will also receive enhancements to its active electronically scanned radar (AESA) and self-defense electronic warfare (EW) suite.
The KF-21 EX will be a component of the Next Air Combat System (NACS) subsystem, which will enable it to operate as a team with unmanned aerial assets. KAI intends to complete development of this variant by 2039.
KF-21 SA for export
The objective of this variant will be to offer a customized version that meets the requirements of any potential export customer. It will be an aircraft very similar to the Korean standard, but with the possibility for the customer to choose the armament and internal hardware that best suits their needs.
German IRIS-T air-to-air missile to be integrated into Korean FA-50 and KF-21 Boramae fighters
Increasing the competitiveness of South Korean industry
The three proposed versions of the Boramae are at an early stage of development, and there is still a long way to go. And although the KF-21 Block 1 will go into serial production from 2026, we must remember that this is a 4.5-generation fighter, which will have to face a world fighter market quite saturated with options in the same category.
But in the “West” there is really only one fifth-generation option, the American JSF “Lightning II”. That is why, in order to increase the international competitiveness of their aircraft, Seoul and KAI are seeking to accelerate the development of the KF-21 EX (skipping the Block 2 step), which, however, could take up to 10 years to be fully developed.
