Korea KTX-II (T-50, TA-50, FA-50) program

The requirement is 36, expect repeat order for another 18.

Boracetkin said:

Congrats Malaysia for selecting the worse bid. Hürjet would give them both more flexible configuration options and higher Malaysian industry participation.

Click to expand...

Why it is the worst bid?
Technically it is the best solution out there as it is a proven platform and already in service with multiple air forces.
However, considering geopolitical aspect and the local industry participation Hurjet would've been a better choice.

But it is their airforce and they probably knows better what suits them.

Afif said:

Why it is the worst bid?
Technically it is the best solution out there as it is a proven platform and already in service with multiple air forces.
However, considering political aspect and the local industry participation Hurjet would've been a better choice.

But it is their airforce and they knows better.

Click to expand...

Malaysia currently only has

x18 Su-30MKM
x8 F/A-18C/D
x10 Mk108/208

Adding ready and tested (and widely used) F/A-50 is always the wise thing to do. Because they will need it fast

Main arguments for FA-50:
- tried & tested bird since 2000s
- very high production quality
- integration of US, European, Israeli, Korean weapon and sensor systems
- international pilot training program
- excellent supply chain & customer service

Luckily we learned from the best in business: USAF and LockMart

They have made a good choice.It was a LCA tender.We do not even know whether trainer Hürjet will be able to enter mass production in the near future because of the American engine... It was already too ambitious for TAI to enter this tender without producing the aircraft.

S. Korean defense chief attends contract signing event for FA-50 fighter export​

SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup joined a contract signing ceremony for South Korea's export of FA-50 light attack aircraft to Malaysia during a visit to the Southeast Asian country Tuesday, calling the deal a "crucial" opportunity to elevate the bilateral defense partnership.

The ceremony came after Lee and his Malaysian counterpart, Mohamad Hasan, held talks on bilateral defense and arms industry cooperation earlier in the day. Lee was in Malaysia to attend the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in the country.

"Lee assessed that the export of FA-50 fighters to Malaysia served as a crucial chance to elevate the two countries' defense and arms industry cooperation, and expressed our government's interest and will for support regarding bilateral defense industry cooperation," the ministry said in a press release.

In February, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, signed a letter of acceptance with Malaysia to supply 18 FA-50 aircraft. Tuesday's ceremony marked the signing of a final contract on the export, according to the ministry.

After the ceremony, Lee visited an exhibition booth run by KAI. There, he pledged active support to expand the country's defense exports through the relaxation of regulations, financial support and other means.

During the talks with the Malaysian minister, Lee asked for his support to help South Korean firms expand their participation in Malaysia's future military reinforcement projects, including its push to introduce three 2,000-ton littoral mission vessels.

Hasan stressed the importance of cooperation and communication for regional peace and prosperity, while requesting South Korea play a constructive role in promoting stability in the Southeast Asian region, according to the ministry.

Lee also used the meeting to call for Malaysia's support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan and invited Hasan to attend his ministry's annual defense forum, called the Seoul Defense Dialogue, scheduled for October.

$920 million deal. Enjoy the ROKAF Black Eagles with their beautiful T-50 birds on world tour, also at LIMA 2023 in Malaysia.블랙이글스 팀워크!

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) unveiled the upgraded FA-50 Fighting Eagle with aerial refueling capability.
The upgraded FA-50 is now able to conduct aerial refueling via probe & drogue method, which will greatly enhance its operational range. Polish FA-50PL will be the first FA-50 to feature this upgrade, along with Sniper ATP, AIM-120 AMRAAM integration, and PhantomStrike AESA radar.
Future FA-50 exports will also include these upgrades.








+ Boom-Receptacle

Poland is already approved to buy Sniper ATP for future FA 50s.

If KAI redesigns the FA-50 to a single seat F-50 with a more powerful GE F-414 like the Gripen E (new tail and air intakes) and a new nose radome-size for a bigger AESA radar it would practically become a F-16V Mini

KAI's Managing Director Shin Dong-hak reveals the story behind Malaysia's Fighter Lead In Trainer-Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA) competition. As shown in Malaysia's RFP, the project was divided into the first and second phases, but the second phase was conducted with the same model as the first phase, so competition among participants was very fierce.(Uniquely, Malaysia makes competitors pay to buy RFP.....)

A total of 6 aircraft competed, but I'm wondering because it's different from the list I've known so far.

Anyway, FA-50 was selected in the competition and will be the first delivery in October 2026. Currently, FA-50M work progress is smooth at 26.7%. The size of the first phase is about $920 million, with $200 million currently paid under the contract.

So what are the strengths that FA-50 was able to win this competition? Malaysia wanted the aircraft to be equipped with airborne refueling capabilities under a wide operational environment consisting of mainland Malaysia and the island of Borneo. It was burdensome to invest KAI's own funds to equip this function, but the Korean government launched a program with airborne refueling capabilities and provided government funding for it. As a result, the first aircraft could be delivered in 2026.

It was also helpful to check performance and reliability from Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand) that operated FA-50/T-50 and to see the smoothness of follow-up support.

Malaysia demanded not only the main contract but also industrial cooperation worth 1.2 trillion won. It's offset. The managing director said that the Korean government has offered a lot of cooperation in Malaysia, including palm oil purchase, Korean language education institutions, K-pop-related projects, and K-water's support for the Malaysian Water Supply Network.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.co...malaysia-southeastasia/20220317170912183.html

There was also a story about India's Tejas, which competed until the end. Tejas is an aircraft that also incorporates more relevant air armament than the FA-50 and has the advantage of its delta wing shape. However, in terms of FLIT, it is said that it is more disadvantageous than FA-50. It is said that it was difficult for an educated pilot to check the ground because of delta wing. He also said that even before the competition began, the Korean Air Force invited the leaders of the Malaysian Air Force to demonstrate the tactical data link system (Link-16), which also left an impressive memory for them.