[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] KAI announced on the 16th that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Defense Command Commander Rashed Al-shamsi and his party visited the headquarters and inspected the production facilities for major aircraft, including the KF-21.

This visit was promoted as part of exchanges and cooperation between the air forces of the two countries, and during the visit, the UAE Air Force visited KAI and inspected the development and production facilities for the KF-21, FA-50, etc.

In particular, Airforce Warfare Center (AWC) Commander Azan Al-Nuaimi, who accompanied the inspection team, personally rode the next-generation fighter, the KF-21, and confirmed its excellence.

At the IDEX exhibition held in the UAE last February, KAI President Kang Koo-young met with the UAE Air Defense Commander and explained the current status of KAI's KF-21 project, as well as the future expandability and development roadmap of the KF-21 in the future battlefield through manned-unmanned hybrid and AI-Pilot.

This visit provided the UAE Air Force with an opportunity to check KAI’s aircraft development status and production capabilities, and to fly the KF-21 aircraft directly to verify its excellent flight performance and the latest avionics developments.

The UAE is a country with great potential for cooperation with Korea as a strategic partner, and this visit will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the cooperative relationship based on mutual trust.

The UAE Air Force expressed interest in the KF-21 in 2023 for the introduction of next-generation fighter jets and inquired about the development status and performance of the KF-21 to the Korean government.

KAI plans to continue its cooperation with the UAE Air Force to provide the optimal solution for the UAE's next-generation fighter jet introduction project.

As part of efforts to export domestically produced aircraft at the government level, Team KF-21 has been launched and is providing full support.

This visit by the UAE Air Force delegation to KAI was promoted as part of cooperative activities between the two air forces. The Korean Air Force and the UAE Air Force have built trust through mutual visits and exchanges.

The LOI signing ceremony to promote mutual cooperation between the Air Force Chiefs of Staff of the two countries and the congratulatory flight of the Black Eagle followed.

The UAE Air Force's visit is expected to introduce KAI's advanced aircraft development technology to the UAE and serve as a stepping stone for expanding defense industry cooperation in the future.

KAI President Kang Gu-young said, “This visit to the UAE Air Force will introduce KAI’s cutting-edge aircraft development technology to the UAE and serve as a stepping stone for expanding defense industry cooperation in the future,” and “We will continue to work towards exporting to the Middle East and African markets.”