On September 30, 2025, Colonel Pnb Mohammad Sugiyanto, a test pilot from the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) with the callsign “Mammoth,” successfully completed his first flight in the front seat of a prototype of the new KAI KF-21 Boramae fighter in Sacheon, South Korea.
The KF-21 Boramae is a 4.5-generation fighter aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in cooperation with Indonesia. Under the bilateral agreement signed in 2016, Jakarta committed to contribute around 20% of the program’s total cost in exchange for technology transfer and the future production of 48 aircraft for the TNI-AU.
Sugiyanto’s milestone adds to that achieved in June 2025, when Colonel Ferrel Rigonald, also a test pilot with the TNI-AU, conducted the first test flight at the controls of the KF-21. On that occasion, the twin-seat prototype “004” completed a one-hour flight, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet, with Rigonald in the front seat and Koh Hwi Seok as co-pilot. That flight was considered a historic moment, as it marked the first time an Indonesian pilot directly operated the next-generation fighter.
The KF-21 program has already surpassed 1,300 test flights, representing nearly 70% of the planned testing campaign. Although Indonesia’s participation has faced financial challenges and multiple renegotiations, the test flights conducted by Indonesian pilots in 2023, 2025, and now in September reaffirm the nation’s willingness to remain committed to the project. However, despite official statements from the institution, recent agreements with other countries—such as Turkey’s TF-X KAAN fifth-generation fighter—continue to cast doubt over Indonesia’s long-term participation in the KF-21 program.
As for the latest developments, at the end of May KAI confirmed that it had begun assembly of the first production aircraft belonging to Block I—the initial batch of 40 KF-21 units—scheduled for delivery in 2026, with final deliveries expected by 2028.
Subsequently, Block I will be followed by Block II, consisting of 80 aircraft with expanded air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities in line with the platform’s maturation. Deliveries are expected to continue through 2032. In total, the Republic of Korea Air Force plans to operate a fleet of up to 120 KF-21 Boramae fighters, which will serve as the definitive replacement for the retired F-4E Phantom II and F-5 Tiger II aircraft.
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