Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on Thursday that a delegation led by the Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defense visited their headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, on Wednesday. The group inspected key fighter production facilities, including those for the KF-21 and FA-50.
The visit was part of ongoing efforts to foster exchange and cooperation between the air forces of South Korea and the UAE. Notably, Commander Al Sarhan Al Nuaimi of the UAE Air Warfare Center (AWC) personally boarded a prototype of the next-generation KF-21 fighter jet to assess its capabilities firsthand.
Earlier this year, KAI President Kang Goo-young met with the UAE Air Defense Commander at the IDEX 2025 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi. During their discussion, Kang briefed the commander on the KF-21 project’s progress and its potential for future battlefield integration with AI-piloted systems.
KAI sees significant potential for defense cooperation with the UAE and aims to leverage this partnership to expand its presence in the Middle Eastern market. The UAE Air Force has shown keen interest in the KF-21, having inquired about its development status and performance from the South Korean government in 2023 as part of their next-generation fighter procurement plans.
President Kang noted that the visit provided an opportunity to demonstrate KAI’s advanced aircraft development capabilities to the UAE and to lay the groundwork for future defense cooperation. He added that the company would continue working to boost exports to the Middle East and Africa.
