KF-16 ROKAF Fighter Jet Program

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is a joint venture formed between Korea's three leading aircraft manufacturers - Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo heavy Industries, and Hyundai space and Aircraft. The KF-16 is a local designation for the F-16C/D model of the Fighting Falcon. The RoKAF was the primary foreign operator of that model.

The project, the most important ever undertaken by the Korean aviation industry, manufactured 120 fighters in its firstpart in 2002 and an additional 20 aircraft in 2003. The Air Force said it could build big savings on maintenance since it had developed domestic technology to provide about 78 percent of the parts. The project upgraded Korea's aerospace industry, and also the acquired technology will facilitate them develop the T-50, a high-caliber trainer and light combat aircraft.