South Korea claims its home-built fighter jet achieved supersonic speeds

ANKARA

South Korea on Tuesday claimed its indigenously developed fighter jet KF-21 has successfully achieved supersonic speeds in a test flight, local media reported.

A domestically made KF-21 fighter prototype reached the speed of Mach 1, or 1,224 kilometers (760 miles) per hour, at an altitude of 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) as it flew over the country's southern waters, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The jet flew for 56 minutes after taking off from the Air Force's 3rd Flying Training Wing in Sacheon, it added.

Sacheon is a city in South Gyeongsang province, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the capital Seoul.

“Through the success in the supersonic-speed flight, our military further solidified the foundation to construct a robust military based on science and technology," Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said.

"We also took one step further to the goal of becoming the world's fourth largest defense exporter," he added.

The South Asian nation successfully tested the maiden flight of the first prototype of the 4.5th generation in July while the second one in November last year.

Since 2015, Seoul has been developing the fighter jet at a cost of around $7.09 billion.

South Korea is planning to replace the country's aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets, with the new 4.5th-generation fighter jets in the coming years.