ADEX 2017: KAI unveils T-50A variant

[Zarvan]

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) unveiled its latest variant of the T-50 advanced jet trainer (AJT) at this week’s Seoul ADEX, being held from 17-22 October.

Though the T-50A was unveiled by Lockheed Martin in early 2016 as the company’s candidate for the US Air Force's (USAF) T-X programme, this is its first public showing in Korea. The USAF has a requirement for 350 aircraft to replace the T-38 Talon, according to the December 2016 RfP.

Though based on KAI’s FA-50 fighter attack aircraft, the new ‘A’ variant has a number of improvements, including an aerial refuelling receptacle, cockpit multifunction display, dorsal hump for extra internal fuel and an embedded training suite, said a KAI spokesperson.

Another feature is a ‘fifth-generation cockpit.’

He said the ‘A’ variant has many of the same overall performance specifications and equipment as the FA variant, including the F404-GE-102 engine, speed, load factor, weight, electronic warfare suite, advanced data link, air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground weapons and multi-mode radar.

The KAI source did confirm that other countries were interested in the T-50/FA-50, including Argentina, though this is currently only at the discussion stage. Indonesia is also interested in procuring more T-50s after buying 16 in 2011, the KAI source said.

Korean and US defence industry sources at ADEX, who spoke on background, said the T-50A did not do well during the first round of talks with the USAF for the T-X programme, with stability and control being the main concern.

Though the T-50A is not out of the competition yet, and variants have been sold to Indonesia, Iraq, Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, it has also lost important competitions in Singapore, Polandand the UAE.

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