Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with MBDA UK for the integration of the SPEAR air-to-ground missile onto the KF-21 Boramae fighter. The agreement, announced during ADEX 2025 at KINTEX, represents a major step toward enhancing the aircraft’s long-range precision-strike and export competitiveness.
Under this cooperation, both companies will jointly explore system integration, testing, and marketing opportunities for the KF-21 equipped with MBDA’s advanced missile solutions. The move reflects South Korea’s continued effort to establish the KF-21 as a versatile multirole platform with advanced Western-origin armament options.
KF-21 Boramae: South Korea’s Next-Generation Fighter
The KF-21 Boramae, developed by KAI in partnership with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and Indonesia, is South Korea’s flagship 4.5-generation fighter program. Designed to replace the F-4 and F-5 fleets, it offers a blend of stealth shaping, digital avionics, and multirole flexibility.
Powered by two General Electric F414-GE-400K engines, the KF-21 achieves a top speed of Mach 1.8 and a combat radius of nearly 2,900 km. It is compatible with a wide array of precision-guided munitions, including MBDA’s METEOR beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).
The addition of SPEAR will expand its strike portfolio, enabling accurate engagement of enemy infrastructure, air defenses, and moving targets while maintaining standoff distance.
SPEAR: A Compact Precision-Strike Solution
MBDA’s SPEAR (Selective Precision Effects At Range) missile is a cutting-edge, turbojet-powered weapon designed for modern air operations. With a range exceeding 140 kilometers, it delivers precision effects through a multi-mode seeker system combining millimeter-wave radar, imaging infrared (IIR), and GPS/INS guidance.
The missile’s lightweight design allows multiple carriage configurations — up to four SPEAR missiles per hardpoint — maximizing the KF-21’s payload efficiency and strike density. Its capability to operate in networked environments further enhances mission effectiveness and interoperability with allied forces.
Strategic Partnership and Industrial Synergy
This MOU builds upon a strategic cooperation agreement signed between KAI and MBDA’s UK office in November 2023, which focused on expanding weapon integration for Korean aircraft and sharing marketing intelligence for export campaigns.
The latest agreement reinforces their shared vision to jointly promote the KF-21 + SPEAR combination to international customers, especially in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, where demand for cost-effective advanced multirole fighters continues to grow.
About KAI and MBDA
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is South Korea’s leading aerospace firm, responsible for landmark programs such as the T-50 Golden Eagle, FA-50 Fighting Eagle, Surion helicopter, and KF-21 Boramae. KAI has positioned itself as a global defense exporter, supplying aircraft to over a dozen countries and partnering in major multinational programs.
MBDA, headquartered in Europe and jointly owned by Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%), and Leonardo (25%), is a global leader in missile systems. The company’s portfolio includes METEOR, ASRAAM, EXOCET, CAMM, and SPEAR, covering the full spectrum of air, land, and naval applications. MBDA’s technological innovation and European industrial base make it a critical partner in global defense modernization efforts.
