Philippines requests KF-21 fighter jet delivery from South Korea between 2027 and 2029.

On January 6, 2026, Reportera reported that the Philippines requested delivery of the KF-21 Boramae fighter between 2027 and 2029, according to a Korea Aerospace Industries official.

On January 6, 2026, Reportera indicated that, according to a Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) official, the Philippines requested delivery of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet between 2027 and 2029, aligning the timeline with the Philippine Air Force’s Horizon 3 planning cycle. This request is directly connected to ongoing FA-50PH procurement, production capacity considerations, sustainment planning, and the limited availability of fighter aircraft slots on the global market, where delivery schedules have become a central determinant of procurement choices.
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South Korea’s acquisition plan calls for at least 120 KF-21 Boramae fighter jets through the early 2030s, providing a stable production run that supports export availability for the Philippines. (Picture source: South Korean Air Force)

In fact, the KF-21 request is tied to the June 2025 contract between the Philippines and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for an additional 12 FA-50PH light attack aircraft, valued at approximately $700 million. The key feature of this agreement is the delivery schedule, as deliveries are planned to begin by the end of 2026, roughly six months after contract signature, much shorter than the three or more years often associated with new combat aircraft production. This accelerated timeline reflects the allocation of early production slots to respond to the Philippine Air Force’s operational needs, placing the new FA-50PH batch within the Philippine Air Force force structure ahead of the Horizon 3 multirole fighter decision point. This delivery tempo is tied to production adjustments made after global demand for combat aircraft rose sharply following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.

The demand jumped from $45 billion in 2022 to about $50.8 billion in 2025. Forecasts into the late 2020s and early 2030s vary, but a consensus range places the global fighter aircraft market at an expected $62 billion to $66 billion by 2030 and around $79 billion by 2035, with compound annual growth rates typically in the 3.8 percent to 4.3 percent range from 2022 through 2030. Therefore, the Korean industry expanded its assembly capacity in advance, and the T-50 family, which includes the FA-50, is now produced at a rate of up to five aircraft per month. That capacity has already been used to support large export orders, including 48 aircraft for Poland and 18 for Malaysia, helping stabilize supply chains and production rhythms. For the Philippine order, advance procurement of key components and customer support items is described as one of the practical measures that made earlier delivery possible without disrupting other contracts.

Payment behavior, mutual confidence, and long-term partnership are also presented as relevant factors for Seoul to comply with Manila's request. The Philippines met its repayment obligations under Korean government-backed financing, which reduced risk in committing resources ahead of delivery. This contrasts with Indonesia’s involvement in the KF-21 program, where a co-development contribution of roughly 8 trillion won has been only partially paid, influencing how production commitments are managed. At the same time, the Philippine Air Force has operated twelve FA-50PH aircraft since 2014, with deliveries completed by 2017. Since then, sustainment arrangements have been expanded, including a performance-based logistics agreement concluded last year. The new batch of FA-50PH aircraft is planned to receive upgrades aligned with the Block 70 configuration, including an AESA radar, a Sniper targeting pod, and Link-16 connectivity, indicating an emphasis on multirole employment rather than purely training or light attack tasks.

Within this framework, the KF-21 is being considered as the next step under the Philippines’ roughly $35 billion Horizon 3 defense program, which identifies a multirole fighter as a core requirement. The request for KF-21 deliveries between 2027 and 2029 situates the aircraft alongside existing FA-50 operations rather than as a standalone fleet. Competing options such as the F-16 and the Gripen remain part of the broader evaluation, but the Philippine Air Force’s familiarity with Korean aircraft, training systems, and support chains is a practical consideration as Manila weighs fleet complexity, transition costs, and delivery certainty in an increasingly constrained market.

The KF-21 Boramae itself is the outcome of South Korea’s KF-X fighter program, launched to replace aging U.S.-made F-4E Phantom II and F-5E/F Tiger II fighters with local combat aircraft design and production capability. The program entered its formal development phase in 2015 after earlier feasibility and concept studies conducted during the 2000s, with leadership assigned to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and participation from domestic research institutes and several hundred local suppliers. Indonesia joined as a junior partner with an agreed financial contribution of roughly 20 percent of development costs, although payments have been partial and subject to renegotiation. The first prototype of the KF-21 rolled out in April 2021, followed by the maiden flight in July 2022; to date, the flight test campaign has involved six prototypes accumulating thousands of flight hours to validate aerodynamics, avionics, and mission systems ahead of the initial service entry planned in 2026.

The KF-21 is a twin-engine fighter powered by two General Electric F414-GE-400K turbofan engines, each producing approximately 22,000 pounds of thrust with afterburner, allowing for a maximum speed of Mach 1.8, a combat radius surpassing 1,000 kilometers depending on mission profile, and aerial refueling capability to extend endurance. Its sensor suite centers on an indigenous active electronically scanned array radar developed by Hanwha Systems, complemented by an infrared search and track system and an integrated electronic warfare package. The weapon arsenal includes beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, short-range air-to-air missiles, precision-guided bombs, and anti-ship weapons, providing a multirole envelope without internal weapon bays in the initial configuration.

Production and upgrade planning for the KF-21 is organized around a phased block approach tied to operational requirements and budget cycles. Block 1 aircraft focus primarily on air-to-air missions and form the basis of the first production batches for the South Korean Air Force, with initial serial production starting in 2024 and deliveries scheduled from 2026 onward. Block 2 is planned to expand air-to-ground capabilities, adding a broader range of guided munitions and strike options during the late 2020s. South Korea’s acquisition plan calls for at least 120 aircraft through the early 2030s, providing a stable production run that supports export availability, while further upgrades under consideration include improved sensor fusion, additional electronic warfare functions, and potential future variants featuring internal weapon bays without disrupting ongoing production.

From a cost and support perspective, commonly referenced unit prices for early production KF-21 aircraft fall in the $80 million to $90 million range, depending on configuration and support elements. On that basis, a possible purchase of 12 to 24 KF-21s by the Philippines would likely total between $1 billion and $1.5 billion once training, spares, and initial support are included. Discussions have also touched on the possibility of establishing a maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in the Philippines, potentially at Clark Air Base, with the understanding that such infrastructure would depend on the size of any order. Against a backdrop of production lines booked through 2030 for several fighter programs, the KF-21 proposal combines a defined delivery window, incremental capability growth, and optional local sustainment, while leaving the final decision in Manila’s hands.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.