The FA-50 light attack aircraft is among the range of products that Korea
Aerospace Industries (KAI) is featuring at the ongoing show.
Twelve such aircraft were purchased by Manila back in 2014 for both air patrol
and strike missions by the Philippine Air Force. The jet has proved to be an export success, with Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Iraq, and Poland among the other international customers.
At the air show Sunday held in Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province,
south of Seoul, KAI also displayed its FA-50 aircraft alongside its latest defense technologies, including the KF-21 fighter, Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), and KUH-1 Surion helicopter.
Back In June, Manila signed a deal with KAI to purchase 12 more upgraded FA50 fighter jets to boost its defense posture in the contested South China Sea. The new FA-50 Block 70 jets will come equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, aerial refuelling capability and advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons systems.
Under the US$700 million contract, the delivery of the aircraft is scheduled
between 2026 and 2030. Currently, the Philippines maintains eleven aircraft in service after one crashed in March during a mission in the southern Philippines.
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