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Diplomacy
ChinaMilitary

China ‘not afraid of falling behind’ on military technology, analyst says

  • Military expert Zhou Chenming makes claim after South Korea unveils prototype of new 4.5th generation fighter
  • It will take many years for the KF-21 Boramae to become fully operational and China’s air power will also improve in that time, he says

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South Korea’s new KF-21 Boramae is an advanced multirole fighter. Photo: DPA
Kristin Huang

China is not afraid of being outpaced in terms of military modernisation, analysts said, after South Korea last week unveiled a prototype of its planned 4.5th-generation fighter jet, as the two countries are looking at different export markets.

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The new KF-21 Boramae is an advanced multirole fighter designed for South Korean and Indonesian air forces to replace their ageing fleet. Boramae means young hawk in the Korean language.

As 65 per cent of the jet is South Korean in origin, the country – a close ally of the United States – is now the eighth country in the world to have mastered the technology needed to develop an advanced fighter jet.

At a roll-out ceremony on Friday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said “a new era of independent defence has begun, and it’s a historic milestone in the development of the [South Korean] aviation industry”.

South Korea’s deputy presidential spokesperson Lim Se-eun said earlier the country had set a goal to become the world’s seventh-biggest aviation manufacturer by the 2030s, Forbes reported.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in says “a new era of independent defence has begun”. Photo: Reuters
South Korean President Moon Jae-in says “a new era of independent defence has begun”. Photo: Reuters

According to media reports, Boramae is expected to make its first test flight in 2022, with manufacturing set to start in 2026. At least 40 of the jets are planned to be delivered by 2028, with South Korea expecting to deploy 120 of them by 2032.

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