South Korea announced the start of research on a domestic air-to-air missile for the new KF-21 Boramae fighter jet. About this write The Defense Blog cited a statement from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The project, worth about 296 million USD, is expected to be completed in 2032. Seoul intends to reduce its dependence on foreign technology and expand the scope of arms exports.
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The program will be led by the Defense Development Agency. The country's major defense contractors, including LIG Nex1 and Hanwha Aerospace, are said to be working on the missile.
“Equipping the KF-21 with a domestically developed short-range missile will complement ongoing efforts to reduce dependence on US and European missile technology, such as the AIM-9X Sidewinder or IRIS-T, which are currently being considered for integration into the Boramae system,” the publication wrote.
In February 2024, it was reported that South Korea's T-50 and KF-21 aircraft would receive Infrared Imaging System Tail (IRIS-T) missiles. Korea Aerospace Industries and Diehl Defense signed a memorandum of understanding.
