Payments Resume For Joint Fighter Project With S. Korea

Indonesia has resumed payments for its share of a joint fighter development program with South Korea, reports the Yonhap news agency (Seoul).

The Indonesian Ministry of Defense made a US$6.6 million payment to South Korea for the first time in nearly four years, an unnamed source told the news service on Wednesday.

Jakarta agreed to cover 20 percent of the development costs for the KF-21 Boromae fighter program when it was launched in 2015. Citing budgetary issues, the government halted payments in January 2019 and is now believed to be about US$550 million in arrears.

The KF-21 is being developed to replace South Korea’s aging F-4 and F-5 jets. The aircraft made its first flight in July and is expected to enter service around 2026.