KF-21 시험비행 종료

[위종민]

지난 월요일 시제 4호기의 비행을 끝으로 KF-21 시험비행이 끝났네요. 약 1,600회 비행을 실시했다고 합니다. 

한국, KF-21 비행시험 프로그램 완료 발표
한국 정부는 한국항공우주산업(KAI)이 올해 하반기부터 대한민국 공군에 양산 항공기 인도를 시작할 계획이다.

작성자 Mike Yeo
2026년 1월 13일 오후 12시 55분

공유

2023년 말레이시아에서 열린 LIMA 전시회에 전시된 KAI의 KF-21 전투기 설계 모형. (Reuben Johnson/Breaking Defense)

멜버른 — 한국은 자국산 전투기 개발의 핵심 이정표인 한국항공우주산업(KAI) KF-21 보라매 전투기의 비행시험 프로그램을 완료했다.

국가 방위사업청(DAPA)은 이날 보도자료를 통해 해당 개발 사실을 발표하며, 42개월 동안 약 1,600회의 비행시험이 단 한 건의 사고도 없이 성공적으로 완료됐다고 밝혔다.

이번 시험을 통해 공대공 무장 발사 시험과 극한 비행 자세에서의 회복을 포함해 약 1만 3,000개 시험 조건에서 KF-21의 비행 안정성과 성능이 검증됐다.

방위사업청의 발표에 따르면, 시험 프로그램은 월요일 KAI 사천 시설에서 네 번째 KF-21 시제기가 마지막 시험 비행을 수행하며 종료됐으며, 이는 당초 일정보다 두 달 앞당겨진 것이다.

비행시험 프로그램 완료 이후, 방위사업청은 올해 상반기 중 KF-21 체계개발 프로그램을 마무리할 예정이며, 올해 하반기부터 KAI가 대한민국 공군(ROKAF)에 양산 항공기 인도를 시작할 계획을 갖고 있다.

한국은 대한민국 공군용으로 KF-21 블록 1 항공기 40대를 계약했다. 이 항공기들은 주로 공대공 임무에 최적화될 예정이며, KAI는 공대지 및 정찰 임무를 포함하는 미래의 블록 II 다목적 파생형도 개발하고 있다.

KAI는 KF-21의 수출도 적극 추진하고 있으며, 인도네시아는 해당 기종을 도입하고 자국 방산업체가 항공기 제조에 참여하는 것을 염두에 두고 프로그램의 투자국으로 계속 참여하고 있다.

그러나 인도네시아의 장기적인 분담금 납부 지연과 프로그램 기여도 축소는 양국 관계를 악화시켰으며, 한국의 중앙일보는 인도네시아가 당초 계획됐던 현지 비행시험 및 무장 통합을 위한 다섯 번째 시제기를 더 이상 인도받지 않게 될 것이라고 보도했다.

관련 기사: 전문가들 “인도네시아의 중국산 J-10 전투기 구매는 능력상 위험을 수반한 지정학적 선택”

필리핀은 KF-21 도입을 놓고 협의를 진행 중인 것으로 전해졌으며, 그 밖의 잠재적 고객으로는 말레이시아, 폴란드, 페루 등이 거론되고 있다.

South Korea announces completion of KF-21 flight test program - Breaking Defense

South Korea announces completion of KF-21 flight test program - Breaking Defense

South Korea announces completion of KF-21 flight test program

The Korean government plans for KAI to start deliveries of production aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force in the second half of the year.

By Mike Yeo on January 13, 2026 12:55 pm

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A model of KAI's KF-21 fighter design on display at the 2023 LIMA conference in Malaysia. (Reuben Johnson/Breaking Defense)

MELBOURNE — South Korea has completed the flight test program for Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae jet, a key milestone for the indigenous fighter.

The country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced the development in a press release today, noting that the test program successfully completed approximately 1,600 flight tests over a 42-month period without a single accident.

It saw the verification of the KF-21’s flight stability and performance through approximately 13,000 test conditions including air-to-air weapon launch tests and recovery from extreme flight attitudes.

DAPA’s announcement added that the test program had wrapped up on Monday with the fourth KF-21 prototype flying its final test flight from KAI’s facilities at Saechon, finishing two months ahead of schedule.

Following the completion of the flight test program, DAPA will now move on to completing the KF-21 system development program in the first half of this year and has plans for KAI to start deliveries of production aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) in the second half of the year.

South Korea has contracted for 40 KF-21 Block 1 aircraft for the ROKAF. These aircraft will be optimized primarily for air-to-air missions, and KAI is developing a future Block II multi-role variant that will incorporate air-to-ground and reconnaissance mission sets.

KAI is also pushing for exports for the KF-21, with Indonesia continuing to be an investor in the program with an eye on acquiring the type and having its own defense industry contribute to manufacturing the aircraft.

However the protracted saga of its lagging payments and a reduction in its contribution to the program has soured relations between the countries, with Korea’s JoongaAng Daily reporting that Indonesia will no longer be receiving the fifth prototype aircraft for local flight testing and weapon integration as originally planned.

RELATED: Indonesia’s J-10 fighter buy from China a geopolitical play with capability risks, experts say

The Philippines is reportedly in talks to acquire the KF-21, with discussions ongoing between both countries while other potential customers include Malaysia, Poland and Peru.

[백선호]

바로 다음 단계의 시험들을 또 하죵. 무장 하나 추가할 때마다 추가 시험을 하고요.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPTnmZ_HPAs

[위종민]

공대지 능력 통합되는 블록2까진 현재 시제기로 시험 실시하고, 기체 내외부 형상 바뀔 블록3는 새로운 기체를 제작하겠죠?

[백선호]

그럴 가능성이 높죵.