BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's self-developed supersonic fighter "Falcon" (KF-21) No. 1 prototype successfully performed supersonic flight for the first time on the 17th.
According to reports, the Korea Defense Agency stated that the "Falcon" 1 prototype took off at 2:58 p.m. Flying at high altitude, the flight speed surpassed the speed of sound for the first time.
It is worth noting that the No. 1 prototype succeeded in three attempts to fly at supersonic speeds during the flight.
The KF-21 prototype was successfully tested for the first time in July 2022. After that, the flight altitude and speed were continuously improved through more than 80 flights, and the supersonic flight was successfully carried out on the 17th.
This is the first time that South Korea's self-developed aircraft has successfully performed supersonic flight.
Previously, the domestically produced supersonic high-speed education aircraft "Golden Eagle" (T-50) achieved supersonic flight in 2003, but this aircraft was made through technical cooperation with the United States.
South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sub said that thanks to the dedication and hard work of many people, South Korea has the first self-developed supersonic fighter, which has achieved historic results.
The success of this supersonic flight has further laid the foundation for the Korean Army to build a "powerful army with science and technology", and has taken a step towards the goal of the world's fourth largest military export.