Indonesia has received its first pair of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50i Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer aircraft, following a transit through Taiwan and the Philippines.
The two aircraft arrived at the Iswahyudi air base in East Java on 11 September after departing KAI's Sacheon factory on 10 September, according to a report by official Indonesian news agency Antara.
Jakarta became the first export customer for the General Electric F404-powered aircraft when it signed a $400 million deal for 16 aircraft in 2011.
At the Paris air show in June, a company spokesman told Flightglobal that deliveries would commence in September, with all examples delivered by February 2014.
The T-50i received military type certification in South Korea in late June, and Indonesia pilots and ground crew have been training with the South Korean air force since February on both the T-50 and more capable TA-50, which has a cannon and carries air-to-air missiles.
The aircraft's transit through the Philippines coincides with South Korea's campaign to sell Manila 12 examples of the most advanced T-50 variant, the FA-50, which can carry precision-guided munitions.
KAI also hopes to sell the single-engined aircraft to Iraq and Chile.
Source: Flight International
