Not just fighters, not just sixth generation
South Korea has begun developing a concept for a next-generation fighter jet to replace the KF-21 Boramai. On August 21, 2026, the South Korean Ministry of Defense, Industry, and Security issued a request for proposals for a 14-month study on the concept of a next-generation Korean fighter jet.
The move signals Seoul's intention to turn its newly acquired fighter jet expertise into a long-term advantage in its air force, rather than stopping with the KF-21.
The study will analyze future missions, aircraft configurations, and advanced technologies that could form the basis of a sixth-generation combat aircraft.
While no new fighter program has yet been approved, these efforts could lay the groundwork for increased autonomy, survivability, and integration with unmanned systems as South Korea prepares for the next phase of air warfare evolution.
To begin with, the South Korean company KAI presented a combat Drone- a slave for partners in the Persian Gulf countries with a multi-purpose payload.
At the World Defense Industry Exhibition in Saudi Arabia, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) unveiled the MUCCA concept to demonstrate how a combat drone can combine air-to-air tracking capabilities with precision strike capabilities and modular sensor equipment, meeting requirements increasingly being discussed by air forces in the Gulf states.
South Korea has launched a 14-month concept study to identify missions, advanced technologies and aircraft configurations that could form the basis of a future sixth-generation fighter jet following the KF-21 Boramae.
On August 27, 2026, new details emerged about South Korea's efforts to define technologies and operational requirements that could form the basis of its future sixth-generation combat aircraft. This initiative comes as Seoul moves beyond the successful development phase of the KF-21 and begins to explore how the experience gained from that program can be used to create a more advanced generation of combat aircraft. aviation.
On August 21, DAPA (Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the South Korean government's executive arm that handles defense procurement) issued a request for proposals for a 14-month study on the concept of a Korean next-generation fighter jet, supported by a budget of 900 million won (that's about $350,000 USD) and designed to examine future operational concepts, aircraft configurations, and a technology roadmap necessary for a possible next-generation fighter program.
This development should not be taken as an endorsement of a sixth-generation aircraft. Rather, it is an early but strategically important step toward understanding whether South Korea can translate its growing experience in fighter development into a broader and increasingly independent combat aviation capability.
From the KF-21 to a Sovereign Aerospace Combat Architecture
South Korea's next-generation fighter initiative is best viewed as a continuation of the industrial transformation initiated by the KF-21, rather than as its direct replacement.
On July 29, the Defense Acquisition Agency officially completed development of the KF-21 system after approximately 1600 flight tests. The first production aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to the Republic of Korea Air Force in the second half of 2026. Thus, South Korea has accumulated experience in aircraft design, active phased array radars, avionics, flight control systems, weapons integration, testing, and certification.
In June, the KF-21 also achieved initial type certification, meeting all 745 airworthiness requirements in 14 areas.
As a result, the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Defense and Security allocated 63,6 billion won (US$63,5 million) for research into a next-generation stealth fighter and related work on design, materials, and sensors. Beginning a new research cycle while engineers, suppliers, and testing infrastructure are still operational could help Seoul preserve its fighter development expertise, which would be costly to restore after a long hiatus.
The most telling aspect is the study's emphasis on the future aircraft's tailless configuration. According to publicly available data, DAPA requirements include two parallel aircraft configurations: a tailless configuration with alternative control surfaces, internal weapons stowage, stealth across a wide range of L-, S-, and X-band radar frequencies, and two adaptive-cycle engines designed for supersonic cruise flight.
Additionally, on July 7, at an aerospace conference in Daejeon, ADD presented a research project. An analysis of images obtained during this work describes a twin-engine aircraft combining a tailless design with a double-delta wing and canards.
It's important to note that the ADD research and the DAPA conceptual study are parallel processes and do not indicate that the final aircraft configuration has been selected. While eliminating traditional tail surfaces may contribute to reduced observability, it also places greater demands on stability, flight control software, and alternative control mechanisms. The combination of forward airfoils (FADs) with a tailless airframe is particularly noteworthy as an example of an aerodynamic compromise being explored by South Korean researchers, rather than a confirmed feature of an operational fighter.
Tailless design and a global change of the sixth generation
South Korea's work fits into an international environment in which future fighter jets are beginning to noticeably diverge in design philosophy. The Chinese aircraft, commonly referred to as the J-36, has been observed undergoing flight tests since its public reveal in December 2024 and uses a mixed tailless configuration. More recent images have revealed the prototype's continued evolution.
The American F-47 is at a different stage of the program: Boeing received a development and production contract in March 2025, and the US Air Force describes the aircraft as the centerpiece of the Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems. However, its detailed configuration remains classified, so publicly available images should not be used for precise aerodynamic comparisons, especially since the images are, frankly, not detailed.
The GCAP, being developed by the UK, Japan, and Italy, is taking a different path. The publicly presented concept retains a pair of canted vertical stabilizers. In July 2026, the three countries signed a £4,6 billion contract to advance the design to the next stage, aiming for the aircraft to enter service by 2035.
Taken together, these projects demonstrate that sixth-generation aviation is not aiming for a single, universal form: stealth, range, controllability, interior volume, propulsion, networking capabilities, and national operational requirements still require different solutions.
And each country has its own concept of use, which also led to differences of opinion. It's enough to recall the German-French-Spanish project, whose participants fell out and went their separate ways. The French needed an aircraft that could carry a nuclear weapon. weapons, and in a carrier-based version at that, while the Germans needed a standard, universal fighter-bomber. These are different missions, requiring slightly different aircraft models.
In this regard, the stated scale of the South Korean ADD concept is particularly noteworthy. The aircraft will be approximately 16 meters long, with a wingspan of approximately 11 meters. These dimensions place it smaller than much larger designs, such as the Chinese J-36 and several other promising next-generation fighter concepts.
However, these dimensions appear to be based on the configuration shown, not published specifications, and should be considered indicative rather than definitive.
If Seoul ultimately chooses a relatively compact sixth-generation fighter, it could reflect a thoughtful design philosophy based on balancing survivability and combat effectiveness while taking into account cost, force structure, and the unique operating conditions on the Korean Peninsula.
Such a tradeoff would be strategically significant. Larger aircraft can carry more fuel, weapons, generate more electricity, have greater cooling capacity, and have more sophisticated systems, potentially increasing range, payload, and sensor performance, but also placing greater demands on procurement, infrastructure, and maintenance.
A more meaningful comparison of the South Korean concept and programs like the F-47, GCAP, and J-36 would be based not only on external size or appearance, but also on what priorities each prioritizes: stealth, endurance, internal payload, electronic warfare, sensor integration, communications with unmanned systems, and affordability.
In this regard, the ADD study may be an early sign that Seoul is considering creating a purely Korean solution, rather than trying to replicate the scale or design logic of foreign sixth-generation programs.
KF-21EX-T as a technology bridge
The third area is the relationship between the development of a fundamentally new fighter and the further development of existing South Korean air-to-air combat technologies. The proposed development path for the KF-21EX-T is a stealth-focused evolution of the KF-21. Since this specific designation is not yet an official development program, it should be considered in the broader context of the KF-21EX or the future Block 3.
Concepts under consideration include internally mounted weapons and additional stealth measures. Other sources indicate that the KF-21 will be equipped with a data fusion system, artificial intelligence, and a UAV-based flight management system.
This evolution could be strategically important, even if the decision is ultimately made to develop an entirely new fighter. Technologies such as internal weapons bays, stealth materials, advanced sensors, combat management computing systems, and joint manned-unmanned flight could be gradually refined before being incorporated into the new aircraft.
This is the most balanced approach, which can bring results quickly and effectively, if you do without outright storming and trying to create something that has no analogues.
South Korea is already working in this direction: in July, DAPA and ADD unveiled a domestically developed 5500-pound turbofan engine prototype, which DAPA says could power a joint combat drone operating alongside manned fighters. However, it's worth noting that the agency is separately developing its own engine for a future manned fighter, which is scheduled for completion by 2041.
Taken together, these efforts facilitate a broader shift from aircraft manufacturing sovereignty to combat air systems sovereignty, encompassing airframes, propulsion systems, stealth, sensors, autonomous aircraft, certification, and systems integration. From a regional security perspective, such capabilities can enhance deterrence, resilience, and interoperability among allies, without implying that the emerging system is inherently targeted at any specific country.
The development of South Korea's sixth-generation fighter is at the very beginning of a lengthy technological process, and its final configuration, powerplant, development timeline, and potential transition to a full-scale procurement program have not yet been determined. Nevertheless, the stated requirement for a tailless design is significant, as it demonstrates that Seoul is considering a radical departure from traditional fighter architecture, rather than simply incremental improvements to an existing aircraft.
Comparisons with the F-47, GCAP, and China's J-36 show that the emerging sixth-generation design will likely include entirely different aircraft optimized for different national requirements rather than a single global formula.
The KF-21EX-T concept, along with a larger evolution of the KF-21EX, could serve as an interim technological solution for South Korea until more ambitious goals are achieved.
If Seoul can combine these incremental developments with advanced stealth research, indigenous propulsion systems, AI-powered control systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles, its most significant achievement could extend far beyond the creation of another fighter jet. It could lead to the development of national capabilities in design, testing, power supply, networking, and the continuous development of an integrated air combat architecture for the future.
And behind this, the specter of Big Profit arises. This is an essential attribute of all successful developments: they inevitably start selling.
It's important to understand that just 20-25 years ago, South Korea was an outsider: between 2010 and 2014, South Korea exported weapons to only seven countries, with more than half of those exports going to Turkey.
Between 2015 and 2019, the number of countries purchasing South Korean military equipment increased to 17. This means that by 2019, South Korea's exports had grown by 143 percent, more than doubling compared to the period between 2010 and 2014. Countries in Asia and Oceania now accounted for 50 percent of South Korea's arms exports, 24 percent went to European countries, and 17 percent went to the Middle East.
In 2018, South Korea ranked 11th among the world's largest arms exporters, according to SIPRI. The country's top three clients were Indonesia, Iraq, and the United Kingdom.
According to the same SIPRI study, South Korea became the 10th-largest arms exporter in 2019, entering the top 10 for the first time. Indonesia, Iraq, and the United Kingdom remained the country's main clients in 2019.
Today, South Korea is one of the world's largest arms exporters, successfully selling advanced military equipment to many countries. The list of products sold is quite diverse, from small arms to warships.
Warships are the pride of Korean shipbuilding, as Hyundai Heavy Industries builds not only large frigates and destroyers but also submarines. Thanks to this prolific production, South Korea has become the fifth-largest submarine sales company in the world.
Also supplied for export are airplanes and helicopters, Tanks and self-propelled guns, which are recognized worldwide. Tenth place out of 186 countries is quite impressive.
And if South Korea can master the sixth generation of aircraft in the form that makes the most sense, it will be a breakthrough in the global arms market.
What do we mean by sixth generation? Putting aside the variables of super-maneuverability and stealth, many experts around the world believe that the main feature of the sixth generation is interaction with unmanned aerial vehicles, which will provide escort for the aircraft, carrying additional sensors, electronic warfare systems, and EW, as well as additional weapons.
Can the South Koreans do it? Why not? Korea is firmly among the world's top 20 economies, despite the fact that before the Rubicon of 1960, it was one of the world's 20 poorest countries. World War II, then the Korean War, and the division of the country into North and South Korea (many metallurgy and heavy industry enterprises remain in North Korea) effectively crushed the economy to a state of near-death. However, the Koreans managed to perform an economic miracle and turn it around, developing it quite effectively.
Being second in the world in terms of ship tonnage launched is a very impressive achievement. The success of South Korean chaebols like Samsung, Hyundai, LG, and Daewoo is even less to be discussed.
Yes, technologically, Koreans won't catch up anytime soon with such giants as Russia, the US, France, and Sweden. After all, design excellence is crucial here, and the creation of the T-50 as a start, and the KF-21 as a continuation of South Korean domestic aviation, by no means guarantees the emergence of the F-15 or C-27 in the coming years. And the aircraft cited as examples are, after all, from the last century, while we are talking about the sixth generation.
But by creating its own aircraft, perhaps not as innovative as the F-35, J-20 or Su-57, but, let's say, possessing the characteristics of the sixth generation (stealth, supersonic cruising and "loyal wingmen"), South Korea will be able to enter the elite club of those who own such technology.
It's not without reason that I cited a fleet of fifth-generation fighters as an example of the sixth generation. The only thing they can't fully do is carry a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles, and even then, all countries are developing and working in this area. So, in reality, the one who can develop UAVs, which will comprise the bulk of the sixth-generation aircraft's striking power, will come out on top. It's simple.
Considering that South Korea has never been keen on the lucrative sectors of the global arms market, contenting itself with second-rate customers like Turkey, Poland, Indonesia and others, the appearance of such an aircraft with drones will provide the Republic of Korea with a stable income from exports. So there's something to work towards.
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