TSAMTO, October 29th. The first FA-50PL Block training/light combat aircraft have been delivered to the final assembly line of the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).20, designed for the Polish Air Force.
Relevant photos on the website Portalobronny.se.pl posted by Polish journalist Juliusz Sabak after visiting the facilities of Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon.
Officials from Korea Aerospace Industries have confirmed that six FA-50PL aircraft are currently in production as part of an accelerated production and delivery schedule.
As already reported by TSAMTO, on September 16, 2022, a ceremony was held in Minsk-Mazowiecki to sign two executive contracts for the purchase of FA-50 light combat aircraft for the Polish Air Force by the South Korean company Korean Aerospace Industries.
The subject of the first contract is the supply of 12 FA-50GF (Gap Filler) light combat training aircraft in a configuration similar to that ordered by the Republic of Korea Air Force, along with training, logistics and technical support packages. The cost of this contract is about $705 million.
The subject of the second contract, concluded by the Armaments Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Poland and Korean Aerospace Industries, is the supply of 36 FA-50PL light combat aircraft (polonized version) in the Block version.20 with training, logistics and technical support packages. The value of this contract is about $2.3 billion.
The rollout of the first FA-50GF at the KAI enterprise in Sacheon took place on June 7, 2023. The first two FA-50GF were delivered to Poland in July. Their official demonstration took place on August 21 at the airbase in Minsk-Mazowiecki. Two more planes arrived in Poland in August, the third and fourth pairs in October, and the fifth and sixth pairs in November 2023.
Deliveries of the aircraft, which will be made in a configuration that meets the additional requirements of the Polish Air Force ("polonized" version), will begin in 2025 and will be completed by the end of 2028. Later, the first 12 FA-50 GF delivered will be upgraded to the FA-50PL standard.
The packages included in the contracts are similar sets of products and services. The training package includes, among other things, the supply of a flight simulator and a combat simulator (FMS – Flight Model Simulator and OFT – Operational Flight Trainer), training of pilots and technical personnel in the Republic of Korea and Poland. At the same time, the logistics package includes a stock of spare parts and consumables.
The signing of the executive contracts took place in accordance with the provisions of the framework agreement concluded on July 27, 2022 by the Armaments Agency and Korean Aerospace Industries.
As stated, the accepted method of concluding contracts is associated with the division of individual projects into stages, as well as technology transfer, as a result of which an FA-50 aircraft maintenance center will be built on the territory of Poland. It is planned to open in 2026.
The adopted acquisition method should allow optimal project management and quickly achieve the combat capabilities required by the Polish Air Force at the first stage by supplying modern military equipment compatible with F-16C/D Block aircraft.52.+ and contracted fifth-generation F-35A aircraft.
The FA-50 is a South Korean light two–seat combat aircraft equipped with modern avionics and fire control radar. The maximum take–off weight is 12.3 tons, the payload weight is up to 4.5 tons. It is armed with a 20 mm cannon and a wide range of suspended aviation weapons, including the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air UR, the AGM-65 Mavrik air-to-ground UR, as well as several types of bombs for various purposes. The aircraft is equipped with an afterburner engine with a capacity of 17.7 thousand pounds (79 kN) and is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 1.5 M. The flight range is 1800 km, the practical ceiling is 14600 m.
All contracted FA-50 aircraft will be equipped with the Link-16 system and the NATO-standard "friend-foe" identification system. The aircraft purchased as part of the second stage will have improved flight range characteristics, an armament package, as well as avionics and radar, in accordance with the requirements of the Polish Air Force. This version, in particular, is supposed to be equipped with a Raytheon-developed PhantomStrike radar, an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile system, a Thales Scorpion helmet-mounted display and a Lockheed Martin Sniper container targeting system.
It is assumed that the FA-50 will complement the fleet of existing F-16s and, together with 32 F-35A Lightning-2 fighters, will replace the 21 MiG-29 and 30 Su-22 in service.
