South Korea Prepares to Export 16 Boramae Fighter Jets to Indonesia

The South Korean government plans to sign an agreement to export 16 KF-21 fighter jets to Indonesia. According to Yonhap, the information is based on government sources on Thursday (19/3/2026), which will mark the first foreign sale of the Boramae fighter jet.

The two countries will finalise the agreement for the export of the fighter jets during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s state visit to Seoul. Prabowo is scheduled to visit South Korea to meet President Lee Jae Myung from 31 March to 2 April 2026.

The final contract for the export agreement will be completed in the first half of this year after price negotiations, the source said. If realised, it will mark the first foreign export of the domestically produced fighter jet.

South Korea launched the KF-21 development programme in 2015 to acquire a domestically produced supersonic fighter jet. This step is to replace the ageing US-made F-4 and F-5 jet fleet of the South Korean Air Force.

Indonesia initially agreed to bear about 20 percent of the project costs as a partner country until June 2026. In return, Indonesia receives technology transfer from Seoul and other requirements.

However, Jakarta failed to meet the payment deadline and proposed reducing its contribution in exchange for reducing the level of technology transfer. Even the police conducted an investigation into allegations of technology theft by Indonesian engineers at Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., the KF-21 manufacturer.