Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which sold twenty of its KT-1B basic trainers to the Peruvian Air Force a few years ago, is currently in discussions with many countries in Latin America for the potential sale of the multi-role aircraft.
The company, which his taking part in FAMEX for the first time, has also seen interest from militaries in the region in the T-50, which is South Korea’s first indigenous super-sonic aircraft and one of the world’s few supersonic trainers, Jake JaeHong Kim, KAI Senior Manager and Chief of the Fixed Wing Business Development Team (Asia/America).
The aircraft entered active service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) in 2005. The KT-1B basic trainer would be a perfect fit for Mexico and other countries in the region because it not only has the same performance standards as other training aircraft like the T-6C Texan II trainer but also comes with a cheaper price tag, said JaeHong Kim.
“In Latin America, many countries do not have a huge defence budget and they don’t face imminent threats. The main purpose of the military is to protect the sovereignty of the country and to fight against drug cartels and human trafficking. The KT-1B can be used not just to train pilots but also for other purposes like the fight against drugs. We hope to strike a deal on the aircraft in the next two years,” he added.
The company is also showcasing the twin-engine KUH-1 multi-purpose utility helicopter and the KOMPSAT-3A multi-purpose satellite. The company is now looking for its first international customer for the KUH-1, which is now in use by the Republic of Korea Army.
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