The pride of Indonesia and South Korea, the KF-21 Boramae, recently announced that the South Korean manufacturing company (KAI) will expand beyond the current 5th Generation fighter jets to incorporate the features of the 6th generation fighter jets currently being developed. developed.
According to Aviacionline, in an advertisement video released by KAI, it shows the KF-21 Boramae made in Indonesia and South Korea leading the formation of 3 unmanned aerial combat systems.
Not only that, the KF-21 Boramae developed by Indonesia and South Korea is also said to have a stealth design reminiscent of the Russian company Mikoyan's Skat project.
To note, the Skat is one of two low-wing UCAV concepts developed for the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The SKAT is a low-observable, large-armed subson aircraft to carry weapons in two sufficient ventrals for missiles such as the Kh-31, powered by a single-engine Klimov RD-5000B turbofan, a variant of the RD-93.
This operation will demand the use of strong Artificial Intelligence (AI), both in unmanned systems and on the KF-21 Boramae.
Uniquely, the disruptive technology has been incorporated by 6th generation fighter aircraft since their conception. Sure enough, KF-21 Boramae is said to have its own Loyal Wingman.
Loyal Wingman is a path finder for the integration of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to create intelligent human-machine teams. Based on the autonomous version of the FA-50 Fighting Eagle light fighter, South Korean industry will enter the field of mixed and collaborative aerial combat between manned and unmanned aircraft.
Jeong Sang-Hwa, deputy chief of staff of RoKAF, said, "It is predicted that the complex concept of manned and unmanned operations will become important for building-generation fighters that will emerge in the future".
"Unmanned fighter aircraft will become a powerful force when operating in a complex manner that not only ensures faster air superiority but also guarantees victory by gaining advantage in battlefield situation awareness and increasing survivability of friendly manned fighters," he concluded.
Not only is Loyal Wingman's technology cutting-edge, the KF-21 Boramae seems to be a truly mighty aircraft from the time it was built.
Lee Il-woo, a senior engineer on the KF-21 Boramae project, said the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet has a complex grid. Not without reason, according to the Hankyoreh newspaper, this was deliberately made so that the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet was fire resistant.
“The interior of the fighter aircraft has intricate grilles designed to continue functioning even if some parts are damaged by fire during aerial combat. Electronic equipment runs from the cockpit to the wingtips," said Lee Il-woo, as quoted from Hankyoreh.
On the other hand, The Week reports that the KF-21 Boramae will be equipped with high-end maneuverability. The reason is that the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet will be equipped with capable radar erasing technology.
With the existence of radar erasure technology, the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet will be difficult to detect.
"Features to reduce radar signature and integration of radar and infrared sensors," explained The Week.
With the use of radar erasure technology, the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet will be more similar to a stealth fighter jet.
Intrigued by the prowess of the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet made in Indonesia and South Korea, India even made its twin. The KF-21 Boramae itself will be powered by two F414 engines, made by the US company GE.
"GE delivered the first F414 engine to South Korea last year. Interestingly, the F414 will also power an early variant of India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) stealth fighter which is under development.
DRDO currently plans to fly its first AMCA prototype by 2025. The AMCA will be similar to the KF-21 Boramae in that it is a twin-engine fighter with an estimated take-off weight of around 25 tonnes. Although similar in layout to the KF-21, the AMCA is being designed with an internal weapons bay. DRDO also hints at developing an unmanned version of AMCA," The Week wrote in an article published on April 9, 2021.
In February 2021, A.K. Ghosh, AMCA project director for DRDO, told The New Indian Express, "We have plans in the future to incorporate 6th generation technology, where it is possible to fly AMCA aircraft in autonomous mode for hazardous missions".
The Indian Air Force currently expects to purchase up to 125 AMCA fighters.
According to reports, the first two squadrons of AMCA jets will be powered by F414 engines, while the rest will be equipped with higher thrust engines to be developed in India with foreign assistance.
