Indonesia returns to KF-21 Boramae programme as it agrees to pay debt for development of the jet, as long as production of 48 units are carried out at PTDI.
In ongoing negotiations, it is reported that Jakarta is proposing to pay the Boramae development debt until 2034 or eight years later.
An official at the ROK Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said that there was no change from the ROK government, which requires Indonesia to make payments according to the agreed deadline, namely 2026. The official made the comment in response to Yonhap News' probe into local rumours that Indonesia had asked Seoul to extend the deadline.
Indonesia agreed to make payments of 1.6 trillion won, or about 20 per cent of the project until 2026, on the condition that 48 planes be produced in Indonesia at PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) in Bandung, West Java. PTDI is involved in this project and has sent a number of engineers to KAI for the KF-21 project.
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province developed a total of six prototypes to undergo the entire series of tests.
According to the report, Indonesia promised to pay around 20 per cent of the project expenditures by 2026, totalling 1.2 million US dollars.
DAPA plans to continue negotiations with Indonesia regarding payment of development costs for the KF-21.
In the meantime, the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet successfully carried out a refuelling test in the air for the first time on March 14 2024. This test involved KF-21 prototype number 5. During testing, a Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) Airbus KC-330 tanker aircraft connected a refuelling rod to the KF-21 using the Boom technique to deliver fuel mid-flight. The test's primary objective was to assess the impact of turbulence during mid-air refuelling on the KF-21 and ensure that procedures for connecting and disconnecting with the tanker aircraft could proceed without incident. According to the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), this success is expected to significantly increase the operational radius of the KF-21 by approximately 50 per cent, thereby increasing its endurance and payload capacity. This will optimize the aircraft's operational performance, especially for long-range combat missions.
