The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially announced its participation in South Korea’s KF-21 stealth fighter development program.

The UAE will cover Indonesia’s not-yet-settled contribution. According to information, Indonesia will not withdraw from the program, as it has committed to fulfill its obligations and procure a total of 50 KF-21 fighters, despite the problems created last fall with the debts owed by Jakarta to South Korea.

Great news!
UAE(United Arab Emirates) officially announced it's participation in KF-21 to the South Korean government.
Specifically, UAE will pay Indonesia's share instead.
As the end of the KFX phase, KF-21 is now successfully tested and the full production will start in 2024.… pic.twitter.com/Ke3KdLL5BB

— ハク Mason (@mason_8718) September 15, 2023

The UAE has invested widely in advanced south Korean weapons such as M-SAM Block-II missiles and the Chunmoo multiple-launch missile system.

South Korea and the UAE have pledged to strengthen their bilateral strategic relationship, recently signing a $30 billion deal with Korean companies covering nuclear, hydrogen, and defence sectors.

The KF-21 made its maiden flight on July 19, 2022, and just last March it made a test flight with the AESA radar. The KF-21 will enter the stage of mass production in 2026 and the ROKAF plans to acquire 120 fighters of this type by 2032.

Also read: Greece – South Korea | Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of National Defence and the Agency for Defence Development of the Republic of Korea