KAI's T-50A trainer jet makes Asia premiere at ADEX 2017

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ADEX 2017
Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition
17 - 22 October 2017
Seoul Airbase - Republic of Korea
 
 
KAI's T-50A trainer jet makes Asia premiere at ADEX 2017
 
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and its partner Lockheed Martin are for the first time promoting the T-50A advanced trainer aircraft outside the US at this week’s ADEX 2017, being held from 17-22 October in Seoul, South Korea.
     
t50a The T-50A trainer jet at ADEX 2017
     
The T-50A was developed jointly by Lockheed Martin and (KAI) to replace the T-38 and train the next generation of pilots to fly 5th Generation aircraft. In February 2016, Lockheed officially offered the T-50A for the US Air Force T-X competition.

About 350 aircraft are expected to be ordered to replace the T-38 Talon fleet in a potential $2 bn purchase, with production estimated to start in 2023.

Based on the KAI FA-50 fighter attack aircraft variant, the T-50A features major improvements, such as an aerial refuelling system, next-generation cockpit, and a new embedded training suite.

The T-50A builds on the proven heritage of the T-50 with more than 100 T-50s flying today—100,000 flight hours and counting—and more than 1,000 pilots trained.

Besides the potential US market, variant of the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle have been sold to Thailand, Iraq, South Korea, Philippines and Indonesia.