Formal contract should be awarded by end of November, with first production model due for delivery in late 2005
South Korea has authorised the purchase of the first 25 Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)/Lockheed Martin T-50 advanced trainers. The ministry of national defence and air force last week approved the start of initial production.
T-50 programme chief Jae Kyu Shim says the formal contract should be awarded by the end of this month. The first production T-50 is scheduled to be delivered in October 2005.
South Korea has a requirement for 94 T-50s, comprising 50 advanced trainer variants and 44 fighter lead-in variants. The remaining 69 T-50s are to be procured in 2006.
The initial production decision was set for August, but was delayed as South Korea reviewed workshare, flight-testing and other documentation (Flight International, 2-8 September). The workshare arrangement approved as part of the initial production authorisation includes shifting wing production from the USA to South Korea.
As a result, the Korean content is now over 50%. If KAI and Lockheed Martin seek to sell T-50s through US foreign military sales (FMS) channels, some production may have to shift back to the USA to meet FMS requirements.
Industry sources say some of the leading export candidates such as Israel would prefer an FMS purchase, while others, such as the United Arab Emirates, would prefer a straight commercial acquisition.
The Israeli air force is to study the T-50 as a replacement for its CM-170 Fougas, said Amos Yaron, director general of the Israeli ministry of defence, during a visit to Seoul on 3 November. Budget problems have slowed selection of a CM-170 replacement, and air force sources say the CM-170 is expensive to maintain.
Source: Flight International
