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2012-01-01

T-50 Ready To Fly In The Middle East

Meet the requirements of advanced traning with the latest technology

The T-50 Golden Eagle is a family of South Korean supersonic advanced trainers and multirole fighters. Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, is the prime contractor for the T-50 with Lockheed Martin the principal subcontractor.

The T-50 is South Korea’s answer to the requirement for a supersonic advanced trainer with the latest aerospace technology and high tech electronic devices.
It took its maiden flight in 2002 and entered active service with the Republic of Korea Air Force in 2005.

The T-50 advanced trainer had been further developed into aerobatic and combat variants, namely T-50B, TA-50, and FA-50. Ten T-50B serve with the South Korean air force’s aerobatics team. The Black Eagles, the aerobatic team of the Republic of Korea Air Force, exchanged their A-37 light-attack aircraf t for T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainers in 2009.

In 2011, the first squadron of TA-50, T-50’s light attack variant, had become operational. The TA-50 can mount precision-guided weapons such as AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and TGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles.

The maiden flight of FA-50, T-50’s multirole fighter variant with comparable capabilities to KF-16, had also taken place in 2011. First FA-50 production for 60 aircraft will commence in 2013 until 2016.

As of 2011, sixteen TA-50 light attack variants of the family has been exported to Indonesia, and additional export orders are being pursued in countries such as Iraq, Israel, Poland, the Philippines, and Spain. T-50 is also being marketed as a candidate for the T-X program of the United States as the United States Air Force’s next-generation advanced trainer. The T-50 is the proposed base for the F-50 next-generation indigenous fighter.

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