Royal Thailand Air Force Received First Two KAI T-50TH

South Korea’s aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) has began delivery of its T-50TH trainer jets to Thailand’s Air Force as a part of a deal won from the Thai government in 2015.
The jets arrived at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base via a 12-hour 6,658 kilometer ferry flight after leaving Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, at 9 a.m., and flying through Taiwan, the Philippines, and Malaysia, on Monday.
An unnamed official from KAI said that it signed a $110 million contract with the Thai government in 2015 to export four T-50TH trainer jets. Two of four aircrafts were delivered on Monday and the remaining two will arrive in the Southeast Asian country in March, the official said.
KAI also signed a $260 million worth contract to export 8 more T-50TH to Thailand in July, last year.
KAI delivered 15 T-50i aircrafts to Indonesia in 2014 and 12 FA-50PH jets to the Philippines in 2015.
T-50 aircrafts were first exported to Indonesia in 2011. A total of 64 T-50 aircrafts worth $2.9 billion have been exported so far to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. KAI is currently pushing to export T-50 advanced aircrafts to the United States, Botswana, and Argentina.
Moon Ji-woong and Lee Eun-joo-pulsenews

South Korean KAI In Advanced Talks With Argentina and Botswana About FA-50 Golden Eagle

Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Friday it is in talks with nine countries to export its trainer aircraft.
The company exported a total of 145 trainer planes -- made up of the turboprop KT-1 basic trainer and the supersonic T-50 advanced jet to countries in Europe and emerging markets in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. The total value of sales has reached US$3.7 billion so far.
In a press meeting, KAI President and Chief Executive Kim Jo-won said talks with Botswana and Argentina are at an "advanced stage" and "good results" are expected later this year or early next year.
"As the countries with which KAI are in talks are developing economies, they require financial loans from South Korean banks in order to place the aircraft order with KAI," Kim said.
yonhapnews

Iraq has taken delivery of T-50IQ

Iraq received on Thursday a first batch of 24 South Korea-made T50 fighter jets, said the commander of the air forces.
Anwar Hamma did not mention the number of fighters included in the delivery, but said they were accompanied with all supplementary equipment as well as the a first batch of Iraqi pilots and maintenance technicians trained in Korea on conducting and maintaining the fighters.
Iraq and South Korea clinched the deal for the aircraft delivery in 2013, initially slating it for April 2016 before postponing to the first quarter of 2017.
Hamma said the fighter jets would go into service sooner to engage in airstrikes targeting Islamic State militants.
iraqinews

US denies South Korea T-50 Golden Eagle export permission to Uzbekistan

The US has refused to authorise a proposed South Korean export of 12 T-50 Golden Eagle advanced trainers to Uzbekistan.
The deal, may have been dependent on US approval thanks to the integration of Lockheed Martin technology on the platform during its co-development with KAI in South Korea.
US concerns are focused on the possibility that Uzbekistan could allow information on sensitive US technology, such as is used on the aircraft's avionics and engines, to be transferred to Russia, a close ally of Uzbekistan.
janes

Royal Thailand Air Force Selects T-50

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Thursday that it has signed a $110 million deal to export four T-50TH supersonic trainer jets to Thailand.
Under the deal, the Korean company will deliver the trainer jets within 30 months.
Thailand has selected the KAI T-50TH over the Chinese-made L15 to replace aging trainer aircraft for its Air Force.
Thailand has been operating L39 trainer jets made by the Czech Republic, and is replacing them as it has been more than 30 years since their production.
At the end of last year, the Thai government approved a budget to purchase four new trainers.
Competitors in a bidding battle included the United States, Russia and Italy as well as Korea and China.
Sixteen T-50 were exported to Indonesia in 2011.
Korea had also signed a deal with Iraq to export 24 T-50IQs in 2013, and with the Philippines to export 12 FA-50PHs, a light combat version of the T-50, in 2014.
South Korea government is also seeking to sell 24 FA-50s to Peru by participating in the country's fighter purchase project.
koreatimes

Taiwan Launches Ambitious Plans For New Weapons In All Fronts, Cleared to Buy C-27J

China's steady acquisition of advanced weaponry has driven ambitious Taiwanese requirements, including plans to procure stealth fighters, advanced jet trainers, long-range unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and main battle tanks.
Some requirements are awaiting sale notification to the US Congress or are still working through the Ministry of National Defense's internal programming process. Those include:
• MH-60R naval helicopters.
• Aircraft-deployed mines, such as the Quickstrike series.
• Shipboard electronic warfare system upgrades, such as the SLQ-32.
• Phalanx close-in weapon systems.
• Tactical datalink systems as part of a follow-on to the Po Sheng C4ISR upgrade program, now more commonly referred to as "Shyun An" or "Xun An."

Among the Chinese programs spurring Taiwan's response are Su-35 fighter aircraft and long-range S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. Chinese efforts in the South China Sea have also driven requirements for more ships and submarines, though these will be largely indigenous build programs.
Defense sources indicate Taiwan is interested in acquiring an additional AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, presumably as replacement for the unit lost in a training accident in 2014.
Taiwan needs to start replacing its fighter trainers in the next few years, but the Air Force has not announced a selection process for new trainers to replace aging F-5 fighters and AT-3 attack trainers, though plans for a tentative budget have been announced by Air Force officials for 2017.
The Air Force uses its F-5E/F fighters and AT-3 jet trainers for training before moving forward to one of three fighters: F-16A/Bs, Mirage 2000-5s or indigenous defense fighters.
The Air Force has said it wants to procure 68 advanced jet trainers for advanced training, lead-in and operations transitioning training, Shih said.
At present, there are three candidates: the US Air Force's T-X program, which is still under development; the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master; and the T-50 Golden Eagle built by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin.
Taiwan's Air Force also has a requirement to replace aging single-engine propeller-driven Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor trainers procured from the US in the 1980s. The T-34 squadron has suffered numerous fatal accidents over the past several years. The Beechcraft AT-6 is the most likely candidate.
Taiwan also has been pursuing a procurement for six C­27J Spartan medium-transport aircraft, along with an indigenous training and maintenance package, to replace the Air Force's Fokker 50 VIP aircraft. The US government has released the C-27J for Taiwan, but the Air Force is awaiting financing, which has been hampered by the cost of recent upgrades to its indigenous defense fighters and upcoming upgrades to its F-16A/B fighter fleet.
defensenews

South Korea, Peru vow to cooperate in KAI T-50

President Park Geun-hye said Monday she agreed with her Peruvian counterpart Ollanta Humala on cooperation in Peru's trainer jet project, a move that could raise the prospect of a South Korean defense firm winning a lucrative deal.
The comments came as Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, is competing with foreign rivals to win a deal worth about US$1 billion for Peru's next-generation light attack aircraft.
KAI has offered its FA-50 supersonic jets.
yonhapnews

Pakistan Eyes T-50 as Trainer Option

Pakistan is considering purchase of the South Korean KAI T-50 Trainer to revamp its Air Force training program.
Interest in the T-50 comes amid moves to improve Pakistani-South Korean defense industry collaboration.
Currently, trainees transition from the subsonic intermediate K-8P jet to the supersonic FT-7P.
Financial restrictions may dictate selection of a more affordable Chinese option. The Hongdu JL-10/L-15 has previously been examined by the Pakistan Air Force and could therefore be a more realistic option.
defensenews

KAI in Partnership with Airbus will Develop South Korea Future Fighter KF-X

KAI was picked as the preferred bidder for the South Korea's indigenous fighter jet development program Monday.
Codenamed KF-X, the project calls for South Korea to develop fighter jets of the F-16 class to replace its aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s. Some 120 jets are to be put into service starting around 2025.
KAI, in partnership with Airbus Defense and Space, vied against Seoul's top air carrier, Korean Air Lines Co., which teamed up with Lockheed Martin of the United States.
Industrial watchers say KAI has a technical edge over Korean Air based upon its experience developing the T-50 Golden Eagle.
yonhapnews

Philippines to Get First Two FA-50s Ahead Schedule

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) will deliver two FA-50 light-attack aircraft to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) ahead of schedule in December.
Manila signed a contract to buy 12 FA-50s on 28 March 2014, under which KAI was to deliver all the aircraft by mid-2017.
Philippine President Aquino inspected an FA-50 at Gimhae Air Base in South Korea in December 2014, and at the time told reporters he expected the 12 aircraft to just be the start of increased defence co-operation between the two countries.
defense-studies

Philippines Air Force Reactivates Three More S-211 to train F/A-50 Pilots

The decision to reactivate three more SIAI-Marchetti S-211 jet trainers is aimed at increasing the number of aerial assets needed to screen and train prospective F/A-50 pilots.
The additional S-211s will provide incoming pilots of the South Korean-built jet plane with the flight time and training needed for fast aircraft operations.
The F/A-50 is expected to be in service within the Philippines Air Force by the third quarter of 2015.
Four PAF pilots will be deployed to South Korea before the end of the year to undergo familiarization training in the KAI F/A-50 "Golden Eagle".
These PAF officials relatively have high jet time compared to other pilots, flying SIAI-Marchetti S-211 jet trainers which doubles as attack aircraft of the PAF.
defense-studies

4 Philippines Air Force Pilots to Train in South Korea to familiarize with F/A-50

Four Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots will be deployed to South Korea before year end to undergo familiarization training in the KAI F/A-50 "Golden Eagle".
These PAF officials relatively have high jet time compared to other pilots and have accrueyin their jet time flying SIAI-Marchetti S-211 jet trainers.
The Philippines and KAI signed the deal for 12 units of the F/A-50 last March 28.
The first two F/A-50 jet aircraft will be delivered 18 months after the opening of the letter of credit, the next two will be delivered 12 months later and the remaining eight jet planes to be delivered in staggered basis within eight months.
The F/A-50 will act as the country's interim fighter until the Philippines get enough experience of operating fast jet assets and money to fund the acquisition of more capable fighter aircraft.
defense-studies

Philippines inks contract for 12 KAI T-50 and 8 Bell 412 EP

Philippines inked contract for 12 KAI T-50 Golden Trainer Fighter jets and 8 Bell 412 EP combat utility helicopters from Canada.
The acquisition of the F-50s is the most upscale military modernization project that the Philippine government has sealed.
The first two of the FA-50 will be delivered after 18 months of the opening letter of credit. The next two will be after 12 months of the first delivery. The remaining eight will be delivered in staggered basis after two months until 2017.
The new Bell 412 EP will be delivered from August 2015.
newsinfo

Philippine government reached agreement to buy 12 FA-50s

Philippines has approved the payment scheme for the purchase of 12 lead-in fighter trainer jets from South Korea, taking the deal to acquire the air assets a step closer to completion.
The defense department has been allowed to make an advance payment of 15 percent of the total contract price to South Korean firm Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI).
The defense department is seeking to complete the negotiations with KAI within the week..
KAI initially wanted 52 percent down payment to cover manufacturing costs, but it dropped the payment scheme and agreed to a progressive payment.
abs-cbnnews.com

South Korea completes delivery of 16 T-50 trainers to Indonesia

South Korea has completed the delivery of 16 T-50 built by KAI to Indonesia.
KAI has delivered 16 T-50i planes between September and January using ferry flights via Taiwan and the Philippines.
On Thursday, Indonesian President hosted a ceremony celebrating its deployment at Jakarta.
KAI vowed to provide maintenance and other support for the Indonesian Air Force in the following decades.
globalpost.com

Indonesia May Replace F-5s With Su-35s

Indonesia’s defense authority is leaning toward a plan to purchase 16 of the latest generation of Russian twin-engine Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighters to replace its F-5.
The Air Force will hold further evaluations of other fighters prior to making a final decision. Other fighters under evaluation are the Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60, Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle and F/A-18 Super Hornet, and the Dassault Rafale.
The adviser, however, said the Tiger replacement would not be decided in the near future, despite claims that Indonesia is ready to equip its Air Force with a squadron of new fighters.
The Indonesian Air Force operates six F-5Es and two South Korean T-50 Golden Eagle advanced supersonic trainers.
The Air Force is also equipped with 10 F-16A/Bs and a squadron of Su-27/30s.
During the first phase of the Indonesian Defense Strategic Plan, the Air Force has begun receiving 16 T-50s, with final delivery expected by the end of this year.
A final decision will be made after the presidential and legislative elections scheduled for October.
defensenews

Poland To Buy 8 Jet Trainers From Alenia Aermacchi

Poland selected the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 jet trainer for its pilot training requirement, with a deal for eight aircraft scheduled to be signed in early 2014.
Alenia Aermacchi beat competition from the BAE Systems Hawk and the KAI T-50 and covers a ground-based training system including flight simulators.
The deal also includes training, technical and logistical support.
The Polish ministry of defense has also taken an option for a further four aircraft.
Italy has also ordered the M-346, bringing total orders to 48.
defensenews

T-X Requirements Under Review

The newly appointed head of US Air Force Air Education and Training Command (AETC) acknowledged last week that funds for a replacement trainer won’t be coming in the near future, but said the T-X program remains a priority for his staff.
Timetable confirms there won’t be much movement on the T-X program in the next two years, despite heavy interest from industry. In 2014 and 2015 there are no plans for T-X.
Three competitors have offered off-the-shelf designs: the Hawk Advanced Jet Training System, a joint program of BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, L-3 Link Simulation & Training and Rolls-Royce; Lockheed Martin’s offering of the Korean Aerospace Industries T-50; and the T-100, a collaboration between General Dynamics and Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi.
This month, Boeing and Saab announced they would be teaming on a clean-sheet design for the program.
The Air Force is eyeing an initial operating capability date of 2023 or 2024 for the winner of the T-X competition, which will replace the service’s T-38 trainers with 350 new models.
There could be life for the T-38 after T-X, perhaps as an opposition plane during training missions.
defensenews

Korea exports 24 FA-50 light attack aircraft to Iraq

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a contract to sell 24 FA-50 light attack aircraft to Iraq.
South Korea defense contractor is set to deliver the jets between October 2015 and October 2016.
Kai has sold 16 T-50 supersonic trainers to Indonesia, 40 KT-1 basic trainers to Turkey and 20 KT-1s to Peru.
In the competition, the KAI product beat BAE Systems’ Hawk-128, Russian Yakovlev’s Yak-130 and Czech aircraft producer Aero Vodochody’s L-159.
With Iraq being scheduled to import 36 F-16s from next year, the Korean light attack plane was seen as the best option to bridge the air power vacuum, while nurturing pilots.
The FA-50 was developed in Korea as a possible replacement for the Air Force’s F-5E/F when the aging fighters are retired.
KAI is set to try to continue the winning vibe in its sales pitch for other countries including the Philippines, Botswana and eventually, the United States.
In the U.S. Air Force’s trainer competition, aimed at replacing its fleet of T-38s.
The FA-50, which was first unveiled in January 2006, is a light combat version of the T-50 supersonic trainer that was co-developed with Lockheed Martin.
koreatimes

Philippines: No consensus yet on KAI FA-50 purchase

The Philippines and South Korean firm Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) are still hurdling issues related to the military’s plan to buy 12 KAI FA-50 to South Korea.
Among the issues to be threshed out is the advance payment to be given to KAI.
KAI wants the Philippines to pay a 52 percent down payment.
Another issue being threshed out is the turnaround time, the period required for the delivery of the jets’ spare parts under a two-year warranty.
The government plans to acquire 12 FA-50 jets from South Korea to boost the territorial defense capabilities of the Air Force. The negotiations with KAI started last July.
philstar