South Korea unveils KF-21 fighter jet, a cheaper alternative to the US-made F-35

Once operational, the KF-21 jet is expected to be armed with a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles — and possibly even air-launched cruise missiles.

The twin-engine fighters will come in single- and two-seat versions, depending on the missions to which they are tasked.

“A new era of independent defense has begun, and it’s a historic milestone in the development of the [South Korean] aviation industry,” President Moon Jae-in said at the rollout of the KF-21, nicknamed Boramae, or “young hawk trained for hunting,” at the production plant of Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon,…