Exclusive: UAE intensifies interest in South Korean KF-21 fighter jet with flight test by UAE Defense Undersecretary
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According to information published by the Republic of Korea Air Force on August 7, 2025, South Korea’s Air Force Chief of Staff, General Lee Young-soo, and the United Arab Emirates Defense Undersecretary, Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi, conducted a high-profile friendship flight from Sacheon Air Base in South Gyeongsang Province. General Lee piloted a Korean-made FA-50 light combat aircraft while Al Alawi took the rear seat of a KF-21 Boramae prototype, marking the first time a UAE defense leader has directly experienced South Korea’s most advanced fighter aircraft. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
UAE Defense Undersecretary Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi gives a thumbs up from the rear seat of a KF21 Boramae during a friendship flight at Sacheon Air Base with South Korea Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Young-soo on August 7, 2025. (Picture source: South Korea Air Force)
This symbolic flight reflects Abu Dhabi’s sustained interest in the Boramae since 2023, when the UAE explored the possibility of joining the development program, and follows extensive technical briefings provided to UAE Air Force leadership during IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
Over the past decade, South Korea and the UAE have developed one of the most comprehensive defense partnerships between an Asian and Gulf nation. Cooperation began with the deployment of South Korean special operations forces to train UAE troops and expanded into major arms contracts including K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, armored vehicles and advanced air defense systems. The UAE has also engaged with South Korea on technology transfer projects, joint training programs and the acquisition of unmanned systems and naval solutions. High-level defense dialogues have become regular, with the most recent example being the 13th Korea-UAE Vice Ministerial-level Steering Committee held in Seoul on August 6, 2025, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to long-term cooperation in defense science, advanced weapons development and industrial collaboration.
The KF-21 Boramae is the flagship of South Korea’s defense aerospace industry and its most ambitious military aviation project to date. Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries with Indonesia as a junior partner, the KF-21 is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter designed for both air superiority and strike missions. It integrates stealth-optimized shaping to reduce radar cross-section, a domestically produced AESA radar, infrared search and track sensors, a high-capacity mission computer and an advanced electronic warfare suite. The aircraft can carry a wide mix of indigenous and Western precision-guided munitions, providing operational flexibility for future export customers. With a maximum speed of Mach 1.83, a combat radius of around 1,000 kilometers and a large payload capacity, it is intended to bridge the gap between existing fourth-generation fighters and fifth-generation stealth platforms.
When compared to other advanced fighters, the KF-21 offers distinctive advantages. Against Turkey’s KAAN, both target the same market segment, but the KF-21 holds an advantage in development maturity, with several prototypes already flying and undergoing weapons integration tests. KAAN aims for higher stealth from the outset while the KF-21 prioritizes multirole flexibility with planned stealth enhancements in future production blocks. Compared to the F-35 Lightning II, the KF-21 offers less stealth and lacks full fifth-generation networking capability but compensates with significantly lower acquisition and operating costs, simplified maintenance and fewer export restrictions, which could be appealing to countries seeking operational independence.
When measured against the Eurofighter Typhoon, the KF-21 benefits from a clean-sheet design incorporating stealth shaping from inception and an open architecture for faster upgrades. In comparison with the Dassault Rafale, the Boramae is a newer modular platform with greater potential for future systems integration, while Rafale’s advantage lies in its extensive combat-proven record. Against the Saab Gripen E/F, the KF-21 offers greater payload capacity, a more advanced radar and higher-end strike capabilities, although the Gripen retains an edge in dispersed operations and cost efficiency.
For the UAE, the KF-21 could become a key element in its airpower modernization strategy, complementing its existing F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcons and incoming Rafale F4 aircraft. The Boramae’s ability to integrate non-US weaponry, combined with the possibility of local industrial participation, aligns with Abu Dhabi’s procurement policy aimed at supplier diversification and technological sovereignty. The direct cockpit experience granted to a senior UAE defense leader is an uncommon privilege in fighter program diplomacy and signals a deepening trust between the two nations.
With the Dubai Air Show in November 2025 set to feature South Korea’s Black Eagles aerobatic team and a likely prominent display of the KF-21, the Boramae is expected to receive strong regional attention. If the UAE moves toward acquisition, it would mark a significant boost for South Korea’s defense export ambitions and potentially signal a shift in Gulf procurement trends toward emerging suppliers offering high-performance platforms outside traditional Western channels.
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According to information published by the Republic of Korea Air Force on August 7, 2025, South Korea’s Air Force Chief of Staff, General Lee Young-soo, and the United Arab Emirates Defense Undersecretary, Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi, conducted a high-profile friendship flight from Sacheon Air Base in South Gyeongsang Province. General Lee piloted a Korean-made FA-50 light combat aircraft while Al Alawi took the rear seat of a KF-21 Boramae prototype, marking the first time a UAE defense leader has directly experienced South Korea’s most advanced fighter aircraft.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
UAE Defense Undersecretary Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi gives a thumbs up from the rear seat of a KF21 Boramae during a friendship flight at Sacheon Air Base with South Korea Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Young-soo on August 7, 2025. (Picture source: South Korea Air Force)
This symbolic flight reflects Abu Dhabi’s sustained interest in the Boramae since 2023, when the UAE explored the possibility of joining the development program, and follows extensive technical briefings provided to UAE Air Force leadership during IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi.
Over the past decade, South Korea and the UAE have developed one of the most comprehensive defense partnerships between an Asian and Gulf nation. Cooperation began with the deployment of South Korean special operations forces to train UAE troops and expanded into major arms contracts including K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, armored vehicles and advanced air defense systems. The UAE has also engaged with South Korea on technology transfer projects, joint training programs and the acquisition of unmanned systems and naval solutions. High-level defense dialogues have become regular, with the most recent example being the 13th Korea-UAE Vice Ministerial-level Steering Committee held in Seoul on August 6, 2025, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to long-term cooperation in defense science, advanced weapons development and industrial collaboration.
The KF-21 Boramae is the flagship of South Korea’s defense aerospace industry and its most ambitious military aviation project to date. Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries with Indonesia as a junior partner, the KF-21 is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter designed for both air superiority and strike missions. It integrates stealth-optimized shaping to reduce radar cross-section, a domestically produced AESA radar, infrared search and track sensors, a high-capacity mission computer and an advanced electronic warfare suite. The aircraft can carry a wide mix of indigenous and Western precision-guided munitions, providing operational flexibility for future export customers. With a maximum speed of Mach 1.83, a combat radius of around 1,000 kilometers and a large payload capacity, it is intended to bridge the gap between existing fourth-generation fighters and fifth-generation stealth platforms.
When compared to other advanced fighters, the KF-21 offers distinctive advantages. Against Turkey’s KAAN, both target the same market segment, but the KF-21 holds an advantage in development maturity, with several prototypes already flying and undergoing weapons integration tests. KAAN aims for higher stealth from the outset while the KF-21 prioritizes multirole flexibility with planned stealth enhancements in future production blocks. Compared to the F-35 Lightning II, the KF-21 offers less stealth and lacks full fifth-generation networking capability but compensates with significantly lower acquisition and operating costs, simplified maintenance and fewer export restrictions, which could be appealing to countries seeking operational independence.
When measured against the Eurofighter Typhoon, the KF-21 benefits from a clean-sheet design incorporating stealth shaping from inception and an open architecture for faster upgrades. In comparison with the Dassault Rafale, the Boramae is a newer modular platform with greater potential for future systems integration, while Rafale’s advantage lies in its extensive combat-proven record. Against the Saab Gripen E/F, the KF-21 offers greater payload capacity, a more advanced radar and higher-end strike capabilities, although the Gripen retains an edge in dispersed operations and cost efficiency.
For the UAE, the KF-21 could become a key element in its airpower modernization strategy, complementing its existing F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcons and incoming Rafale F4 aircraft. The Boramae’s ability to integrate non-US weaponry, combined with the possibility of local industrial participation, aligns with Abu Dhabi’s procurement policy aimed at supplier diversification and technological sovereignty. The direct cockpit experience granted to a senior UAE defense leader is an uncommon privilege in fighter program diplomacy and signals a deepening trust between the two nations.
With the Dubai Air Show in November 2025 set to feature South Korea’s Black Eagles aerobatic team and a likely prominent display of the KF-21, the Boramae is expected to receive strong regional attention. If the UAE moves toward acquisition, it would mark a significant boost for South Korea’s defense export ambitions and potentially signal a shift in Gulf procurement trends toward emerging suppliers offering high-performance platforms outside traditional Western channels.
