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The hunt for South Korea The KF-21 reached supersonic speed in a test flight on Tuesday, marking a milestone in Seoul’s high-profile warplane development project.
The prototype of the fighter reached 1,224 kilometers per hour (Mach 1) at an altitude of 40,000 feet during the test flight carried out this Tuesday over waters in the south of the country, as reported by the Defense Acquisition Program (DAPA).
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The flight, which lasted about an hour, took place in sacheonabout 300 kilometers south of Seoul and the same airfield where the fighter made its first test flight last July.
South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-su said it was a “historic” achievement that will allow the country to “build a robust army based on science and technology.”in statements collected by DAPA.
Today’s test also represents “one more step towards the goal of making the country the fourth largest exporter of Defense material in the world.”
Guaranteeing the ability of the FK-21 to fly at supersonic speeds is one of the key points in the development program for the aircraft, of which DAPA plans to create six prototypes to carry out up to 2,000 test flights until 2026.
South Korea’s plan to produce a 4.5-generation supersonic fighter jet has been fraught with skepticism for years due to its cost of 8.8 trillion won (more than $6.7 billion) and the lack of key US technology patents. .
The idea of ​​developing an indigenous South Korean fighter to replace the obsolete F-4 and F-5 was approved in 2013 and two years later Washington refused to transfer four technologies that had to be developed by South Korean companies.
Seoul wants to integrate the KF-21 into its air response system, which already includes F-15 and F-35 fighters, in the event of a North Korean attack.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
