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Ana Marie Pamintuan - The Philippine Star
December 1, 2025 | 12:00am
SEOUL – The Philippines is eyeing the acquisition of the most advanced fighter jet made by South Korea, the KF-21.
An official of Korea Aerospace Industries told The STAR that KAI is in talks with the Department of National Defense and Philippine Air Force for the procurement of the 4.5-generation fighter jets for the PAF.
The KF-21 Boramae, with semi-stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, air-to-air missiles and an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, is at final assembly and testing stage, and is expected to be delivered to the South Korean Air Force by mid-2026.
The multirole, twin-engine aircraft is considered a cost-effective alternative to the more advanced 5th-generation stealth F-35 jet, made by US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. But KAI pitches the KF-21’s balance between capabilities and cost-effectiveness.
Since 2018, the Philippine government has also been exploring the possibility of KAI setting up a facility for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of PAF aircraft, either at Basa or Clark Air Base in Pampanga.
Setting up such an MRO facility, however, must be cost-effective for the Philippines, the KAI official said, meaning there must be enough number of aircraft that will be serviced in the facility.
Considering the geographic features of the Philippines and its current security needs, he estimates that the country will need at least 40 FA-50s and 20 KF-21 fighter jets for credible self-defense within the country’s ADIZ or air defense identification zone.
“The Philippines must be stronger than before,” the official noted.
With those numbers, it would be viable for KAI to set up an MRO facility in the Philippines to service PAF aircraft, the official said.
He said KAI could also provide the Philippines with firefighting helicopters, under a government-to-government cooperation program.
KAI is the maker of the FA-50 fighter jet, which the PAF has been using since the first two of 12 were delivered on Nov. 28, 2015. The acquisition of the lead-in fighter trainer / surface attack aircraft, which the South Korean Air Force began using in 2014, marked the return of supersonic jets to the PAF after 50 years.
The rest of the FA-50s were delivered between 2016 and 2017.
Last June, the Philippines signed a deal with KAI for 12 more FA-50 light combat aircraft, to be delivered in phases until 2030. Malacañang said the deal costs P18.9 billion.
The KAI official said he considered the PAF “our leading customer” for the FA-50, noting that representatives of the air forces of Malaysia and Poland had checked out the fighter jet at Basa Air Base and talked with the PAF before ordering the aircraft.
Security ties between the Philippines and South Korea have been strengthening.
In October last year, President Marcos and then South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol formalized the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, enhancing cooperation in defense, maritime security, transnational crime prevention and infrastructure development.
