Hanwha Aerospace to supply KF-21 fighter jet engines under $401 million deal

Hanwha Aerospace has signed a deal with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration which has been valued at US$401 million to deliver more than 40 engines for the country’s KF-21 fighter aircraft by the end of 2027.

Hanwha Aerospace will deliver F414 engines and spare modules for the KF-21, as well as provide engine maintenance manuals and on-site technical support, along with the supplied engines which will be installed in the first batch of KF-21s.

Announcing the deal, the company said the “contract serves as a stepping stone for Hanwha Aerospace’s plans to develop next-generation engine technologies [and we are] actively pursuing research and development in sixth-generation engine technology.”

The order has marked another major step in the development of the aircraft as it moves towards its entry into service.

Last month, it was announced that an aircraft had fired a guided Diehl BGT Defence’s IRIS-T (IR Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled) short-range air-to-air missile (AIM-2000) for the first time where the missile was designated by the onboard AESA radar and successfully engaged a target UAS.

In March 2024, a KF-21 performed its first aerial refuelling trial with a Republic of Korea Air Force KC-330 tanker aircraft refuelling the KF-21 prototype (Number 5) near the southern coast of the Korean peninsula after the fighter took off from Sacheon.