S. Korea to roll out prototype of KF-X

S. Korea to roll out prototype of first homegrown fighter jet next month. For the current time the KAI have been finalized the assembly of the fighter jet.

South Korea will showcase a prototype of the country's first indigenous fighter jet in April, the arms procurement agency has said.

Jung Kwang-sun, heading the KF-X program at the Defense acquisition Program Administration, said the planned rollout event will be a "landmark moment" for the country and the aerospace industry.

South Korea has been working on the next-generation fighter development project since late 2015 to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets.

With a maximum payload of 7,700 kilograms, the new warplane will have 10 pods for air-to-air missiles and other weapons, capable of flying at 2,200 km/h with a flying range of 2,900 km.

Leading the 8.8 trillion-won (US$7.9 billion) project is KAI, the country's sole aircraft manufacturer.