S.Korean fighter jet KF-21 makes first supersonic flight

The first prototype of the South Korean fighter jet KF-21 Boramae on Tuesday made its first supersonic flight six months since its inaugural trip to the skies last year on July 19.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the aircraft had a successful inaugural flight at supersonic speed at 3:15 p.m. Korean Standard Time.

The fighter at 2:58 p.m. took off from the 3rd Air Force Training Wing in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and flew at an altitude of around 40,000 feet or 12,200 meters over the country's southern waters at Mach 1, or a speed of 1,224 km per hour.

With a unique shape, the Boramae is the first domestically developed aircraft to break the sound barrier.

In 2003, Korea's advanced trainer jet T-50 Golden Eagle also achieved Mach speed but this craft was developed through technical cooperation with the US.

Starting with its maiden trip last year on July 19, the KF-21 through over 80 flights has seen upgrades in flight performance such as altitude and speed and just passed its final test of supersonic flight.

"The dedication and hard work of numerous people finally led to the historic milestone of the country's first supersonic aircraft made with domestic technology," Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup said. "I express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who worked so hard on this project including officials at the Air Force and DAPA and developmental staff and test pilots at Korea Aerospace Industries."

Write to Dong-Hyun Kim at 3code@hankyung.com