Indo Defence 2025: KAI looks for KF-21 restart with Indonesia

A model of the KF-21 with Indonesian livery on display at Indo Defence 2025. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

South Korea has formalised a request from Jakarta to “adjust” the latter's work-share component in the development of the KF-21 Boramaefighter aircraft, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) expects a fresh restart for Indonesia in the programme as a result of this.

Speaking to Janes at the Indo Defence 2025 exhibition in Jakarta, a representative from KAI confirmed that Indonesia had long requested for what he described as an “adjustment” of its work-share in the aircraft's development.

Subsequently in a statement released on 13 June, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that the two countries have now signed a “Revision of the Project Agreement for Joint Development” for the KF-21 programme.

The statement was released on the sidelines of Indo Defence 2025, where the agreement was signed between officials from the two countries.

In the statement, DAPA noted that Indonesia's contribution ratio to the project would now be adjusted in a reflection of the decision taken by South Korea's Defense Project Promotion Committee in August 2024.

DAPA had in August 2024 announced that the Seoul has approved Indonesia's request to downsize Jakarta's financial contribution to the KF-21 programme from KRW1.6 trillion (USD1.2 billion) to KRW600 billion.

With the adjustment now formalised and agreed upon between the two countries, negotiations for work-share arrangements on the aircraft's production can now resume, the KAI representative said.

This effectively paves the way for Indonesian engineers to resume their involvement on the KF-21 programme once terms of the production arrangements are agreed upon, the representative added.