South Korea advances sixth-generation fighter jet plans with stealth design, internal weapon bays

South Korea is actively planning its future air power, initiating research into a sixth-generation fighter jet while its current KF-21 'Falcon' is still being developed. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) are jointly pursuing this ambitious project. The latest conceptual designs reveal a twin-engine, tailless stealth fighter, incorporating advanced features such as three internal weapon bays, adaptive cycle engines, and thrust vectoring capabilities. The aircraft is also expected to achieve supersonic cruise without afterburners. According to military aviation website 'Aviation Week,' DAPA issued a tender on August 21st for a 14-month study. This research, backed by approximately 900 million South Korean won (about $20.67 million USD), aims to develop two competing configurations. The study will define operational concepts, airframe designs, and technology development roadmaps, while also assessing capabilities like combat radius, maximum speed, stealth, and electronic warfare. Key design requirements include a tailless configuration, diamond or Lambda wings, internal weapon bays, and serpentine inlets to minimize radar cross-section across various radar bands. The ADD's conceptual design showcases a highly integrated airframe with upward-canted forewings, a twin-engine setup, and a blended wing-body. It features three internal weapon bays, with the main ventral bay potentially housing four Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles and two side bays each carrying one IRIS-T short-range missile. Based on this armament, the fighter is estimated to be around 16 meters long with an 11-meter wingspan. The development of advanced engines presents a significant technological hurdle. DAPA seeks twin adaptive cycle turbofan engines capable of exceeding Mach 1 without afterburners, coupled with thrust vectoring nozzles. However, South Korea has yet to demonstrate mature technologies in these areas. The country is developing the KTF-16000 engine, but initial flight tests are not expected until 2041, and its current performance may not be sufficient for supersonic cruise in a 16-meter stealth fighter. South Korea is also working on a "full-scale stealth fighter demonstrator" program, aiming for a flyable test platform within four years. The final decision on whether to formally launch the sixth-generation fighter program is anticipated by 2030. However, the military emphasizes that the mass production of the KF-21 remains the current priority.

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The latest concept adopts a twin-engine, tailless stealth configuration, equipped with 3 internal weapon bays, adaptive cycle engines, and thrust vectoring, and requires supersonic cruise capability.