Korea KF-X/ IF-X (KF-21) program

[urban mine]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1605167961224151046

It looks like a picture taken after the first flight. ( I don't know exactly...)
Anyway, it's a good picture. As Jung Kwang-sun said, I hope more Indonesian engineers will come to Korea and cooperate.

 

[Umigami]

Small question:
Why Korea isn't naming their avionics products for KF21 with some kind of nomenclature like APG-81, ECRS MK2, etc instead of simply KFX AESA radar?

 

[Chocopie]

Deployment first, designation later. Up to this date even the ROK supersonic AShM has no official designation yet.

 

[urban mine]

 

[Umigami]

3rd prototype flied

 

[Rodeo]

With very little material, Haci Productions stitched together a KF-21 montage and posted on Youtube. As we see more footage of the Korean aircraft we'll get more epic edits. For instance, the channel's Rafale montage is to die for imo.

 

[Chocopie]

Maybe more footage to come this month …

S. Korea seeks to achieve supersonic speeds of homegrown KF-21 fighter this month: sources​

SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to conduct a test of its homegrown KF-21 fighter to achieve supersonic speeds this month should the weather permit, multiple sources said Thursday, in what would be a key milestone in the high-profile warplane development project.

Securing the supersonic capability is a major part of the development efforts, led by its manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), as it means key functions, including avionics, work smoothly irrespective of flight speeds.

"We plan to conduct the test (for supersonic speeds) sometime in January, but we cannot tell you the exact date as it could be pushed back due to weather conditions," the source told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.

On Thursday, the third prototype of the fighter successfully conducted its maiden flight, signaling progress in the high-profile fighter project. The testing authorities plan to conduct some 2,000 flight tests through February 2026.

Launched in 2015, the KF-21 project worth 8.8 trillion won (US$6.9 billion) seeks to develop the 4.5th-generation fighter to replace the country's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets waiting to be decommissioned following decades of service.

This photo, provided by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Jan. 5, 2023, shows the third prototype of the KF-21 fighter taxiing on a runway in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

[urban mine]

KF-21 AESA Radar Operational View(https://maily.so/sheldon/posts/cbd3b84c)

Development prototype-I under test mounted on C-130H(Test development process-1) [2014.12~2019.11]

 

[urban mine]

Development prototype-Ⅱ under test mounted on C-130H(Test development process-2) [2017.10~2021.12]

Multi-functional Fighter Radar under test on FTB(B-737-500) [2021.11~2023.4]

Park, J., Hong, G., Eom, J., Chong, P., & Hong, S. (2020). Domestic Environment Analysis for Building FTB Aircraft with AESA Radar. Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology, 24(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.12673/JANT.2020.24.1.9

 

[Combat-Master]

View attachment 52255
KF-21 AESA Radar Operational View(https://maily.so/sheldon/posts/cbd3b84c)



View attachment 52257
View attachment 52258

Development prototype-I under test mounted on C-130H(Test development process-1) [2014.12~2019.11]


View attachment 52256

Was these developments done in Israel ?

 

[Gary]

View attachment 52264
Development prototype-Ⅱ under test mounted on C-130H(Test development process-2) [2017.10~2021.12]


View attachment 52267

View attachment 52268

Multi-functional Fighter Radar under test on FTB(B-737-500) [2021.11~2023.4]

View attachment 52269 View attachment 52270
Park, J., Hong, G., Eom, J., Chong, P., & Hong, S. (2020). Domestic Environment Analysis for Building FTB Aircraft with AESA Radar. Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology, 24(1), 9–15. https://doi.org/10.12673/JANT.2020.24.1.9

Any guess on radar TR size ?

 

[urban mine]

Was these developments done in Israel ?

Elta of Israel helped KFX in the HW Proof System process. At that time(16~19), Korea was not sure of the technical completeness of making AESA radar for fighter jets with our own hands. The Agency for Defense Development and Hanwha developed the AESA Radar HW Proof and tested our technology by leasing Elta's radar power supply and experimental facilities. As a result of the test, the technical level of the AESA radar was sufficient for Korea's own development. Simply put, it helped us test the completeness of our radar technology. Elta's role is that much.

 

[urban mine]

Any guess on radar TR size ?

I have read that it consists of 1,088 T/R modules.

쉘든의 밀리터리 : 네이버 블로그

blog.naver.com

It's Korean, but it would be good to translate it into English.

 

[Combat-Master]

View attachment 52273
Elta of Israel helped KFX in the HW Proof System process. At that time(16~19), Korea was not sure of the technical completeness of making AESA radar for fighter jets with our own hands. The Agency for Defense Development and Hanwha developed the AESA Radar HW Proof and tested our technology by leasing Elta's radar power supply and experimental facilities. As a result of the test, the technical level of the AESA radar was sufficient for Korea's own development. Simply put, it helped us test the completeness of our radar technology. Elta's role is that much. Neither HW nor SW was involved.

There use to be information regarding S.Korea TR modules being miniaturised over period of time, I can not locate that information anymore would you happen to have that information at hand?

 

[urban mine]

There use to be information regarding S.Korea TR modules being miniaturised over period of time, I can not locate that information anymore would you happen to have that information at hand?

X대역 AESA 안테나용 SIP기반 소형 반도체송수신 조립체 개발

상용기술인 시스템 인 패키지(SIP) 기술과 경·연성 인쇄회로기판(Rigid-Flexible PCB)을 활용하여 ...

m.blog.naver.com

I think it will be applied in Block 2.

 

[Chocopie]

There‘s also a second AESA radar development in Korea. The LASER-A by LIG Nex1 (Hanwha AESA radar prototype was preferred in 2017 for KF-21) is privately continued.

LIG넥스원의 차세대 AESA 레이다, LASER

LASER(LIG's Advanced Scalable E-scan Radar)는 LIG넥스원의 차세대 AESA 레이다...

m.blog.naver.com

PS: ELTA officials were reportedly impressed with results of aerial testing, especially of Hanwha‘s superb T/R modules and hardware quality.

 

[Ecderha]

I have read that it consists of 1,088 T/R modules.

쉘든의 밀리터리 : 네이버 블로그

blog.naver.com

It's Korean, but it would be good to translate it into English.

I used the real picture which you provided.
and

Green 4+4, Blue 4+4 , Red 24 lines . Grey 8 section with each section have 2 segments -> 40 * (8*2) = 640
+
Blue 4+4, Red 24 lines. Orange 2 + 2 section with each have 2 segments -> 32 * ( (2+2) *2 ) = 256
+
Red 24 lines. Purple 1 section with 2 segments -> 24 * ( (1+1) * 2 ) = 96


Total 992 just my 5 cents about picture

 

[Chocopie]

I used the real picture which you provided.
and

View attachment 52279



Green 4+4, Blue 4+4 , Red 24 lines . Grey 8 section with each section have 2 segments -> 40 * (8*2) = 640
+
Blue 4+4, Red 24 lines. Orange 2 + 2 section with each have 2 segments -> 32 * ( (2+2) *2 ) = 256
+
Red 24 lines. Purple 1 section with 2 segments -> 24 * ( (1+1) * 2 ) = 96


Total 992 just my 5 cents about picture

Your eagle eyes have precisely counted the no. right: 992! But the picture is from an older pre-prototype model (HW input test in 2018).

The actual mounted prototype has 1,088 T/R modules of finest high quality, but that's not the end of it:

"The AESA radar, which will be installed and tested on the KF-X from 2023, will be 20% larger than it is now and the number of modules will increase that much, according to savvy sources. This means that the number of modules can reach more than 1,200. This is similar to the F-35. Dozens of targets can also be tracked at the same time."

Source: https://m.blog.naver.com/beatleslike/221829910634

Please read the original source from above:

KF-X AESA 탑재시제 T/R 모듈 추론

네이버 테크플러스 블로그(https://blog.naver.com/tech-plus/221329440128)에 KF-X에 탑재될 AESA ...

m.blog.naver.com

Hanwha AESA radar prototype in 2020:

 

[Umigami]

S. Korea seeks to achieve supersonic speeds of homegrown KF-21 fighter this month: sources | Yonhap News Agency

By Song Sang-ho SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to conduct a test of its hom...

m-en.yna.co.kr

supersonic flight this month

Does it still gonna has that pitot-like-thingy in its radome in supersonic flight test?

 

[urban mine]

S. Korea seeks to achieve supersonic speeds of homegrown KF-21 fighter this month: sources | Yonhap News Agency

By Song Sang-ho SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to conduct a test of its hom...

m-en.yna.co.kr

supersonic flight this month

Does it still gonna has that pitot-like-thingy in its radome in supersonic flight test?
View attachment 52425

The pitot tube will not be removed before the end of the Testing of the Aerodynamic Characteristics.

I don't think the related test has been completed yet.