Korea's KF-21 fighter jet successfully completes first flight test

A domestically developed KF-21 fighter jet is seen in the air above the 3rd Flight Training Wing of the Air Force base in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Korea’s domestically developed fighter jet KF-21 successfully completed its first flight test on Tuesday, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The KF-21 supersonic jet prototype took off from the runway of the 3rd Flight Training Wing of the Air Force base near the Korea Aerospace Industries headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, and safely landed at 4:13 p.m.

The fighter jet flew at about 400 kilometers (250 miles) per hour during the test flight.

With the successful flight, Korea is now one step closer to becoming the eighth country to domestically develop a supersonic fighter. So far, the United States, Russia, China, Japan, France, Sweden and a European consortium comprised of Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain have successfully developed and tested a supersonic fighter.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]