SOURCE: AFI
South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae program has reached a major milestone by completing 1,000 accident-free flight sorties since its maiden flight in July 2022. This accomplishment highlights the program’s efficiency and safety standards, reflecting the robust developmental and testing protocols implemented by South Korea’s defense industry. The milestone was achieved in just over two years, underscoring the program’s rapid progress and commitment to timelines.
During its developmental phase, the KF-21 has undergone diverse tests, demonstrating exceptional safety, reliability, and performance. These sorties covered structural integrity, avionics systems, aerodynamics, and advanced combat scenarios, ensuring the aircraft is ready for operational deployment. This achievement serves as a testament to South Korea’s engineering excellence and streamlined approach to fighter aircraft development.
As India looks ahead to the first flight of its Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, scheduled for 2028, comparisons with the KF-21’s rapid developmental pace are inevitable. Many Indian defense enthusiasts and experts are wondering if AMCA’s developmental flights will be conducted at a similar pace.
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program, by comparison, was far slower in its developmental phase. After its maiden flight in 2001, the LCA achieved its 1,000th flight in 2009—a span of nearly eight years. Moreover, the Tejas program often averaged only 100 sorties per year during its early developmental phase, leading to significant delays in meeting testing milestones. This slow pace extended the program’s timeline, with full operational capability achieved much later.
For India’s AMCA to achieve milestones akin to the KF-21, it will require a highly accelerated flight testing schedule, with at least 2-3 sorties daily to accumulate 1,000 sorties within a reasonable timeframe. This would necessitate:
- Dedicated Flight Testing Infrastructure: Establishing multiple test centers with advanced simulation and analysis capabilities.
- Sufficient Prototypes: Building a larger fleet of test prototypes to allow parallel testing.
- Streamlined Testing Protocols: Leveraging automation, simulation, and real-time data analysis to minimize time between sorties.
- Industry Collaboration: Involving private and public sector entities to handle various aspects of testing and certification.