Israel mulls buying South Korean fighter jets for training

Jerusalem, Aug 2 (Xinhua) The Israeli Air Force is planning to purchase South Korea’s T-50 Golden Eagle fighter jets in a bid to replace its ageing Skyhawk fleet, the Ha’aretz daily reported Sunday.

A three-member delegation of the Israeli Air Force is expected to visit Seoul next week to discuss the matter with their South Korean counterparts.

This is the first time in 40 years that Israel is considering to purchase fighter jets outside the US.

The report added that Israel is planning to purchase at least 30 jets to be used in the combat training exercises of trainee pilots.

The T-50, produced by Korean Airspace in collaboration with the US company Lockheed Martin, took its maiden flight in 2002. South Korean has been using this light jet for training purposes.

Israel is also considering two other jets for the purchase - the T-45, an American model of the British Hawk training aircraft, and the M-346, produced by the Italian firm Alenia Aermacchi. However, the South Korean jet appears to be in the lead, as its performance matches the F-16 fighter jets, the report said.

The Skyhawk first arrived in Israel in 1968, marking the induction of US-made jets into the Israeli Air force.

It seems the IAF is not the only folks looking at the T-5-

A U.S. Navy pilot academy has selected South Korea’s T-50 supersonic trainer jet as a tool to evaluate the flying skills of its students, the Air Force said Monday.

A group of four pilots belonging to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Maryland began test-flying T-50s Monday at a test-flight unit of the South Korean Air Force’s 52nd Fighter Squadron in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, it said in a news release.

Officials said the event will help boost the country’s efforts to export the state-of-the-art trainer to the United States and other countries

About the T50

The first flight of the T-50 took place in August 2002. The RoK Air Force has a requirement for 50 T-50 trainers and 44 T-50 LIFT. RoKAF placed a production contract for the first 25 T-50 in December 2003 and the first production aircraft was rolled out in August 2005.

The development of the aircraft has been funded 13% by Lockheed Martin, 17% by Korea Aerospace Industries and 70% by the Government of South Korea. Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) is the Republic of Korea’s national aerospace company, established in 1999 with the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company. The T-50 is being built at the KAI facility in Sachon.

The wingtip launch rails can carry AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The underwing and centreline hardpoints can carry rocket pods, air-to-surface missiles or air-to-air missiles according to the mission requirements, e.g. AGM-65 Maverick missiles or mk82/83/84 bombs or rocket launchers.

The aircraft is powered by a single General Electric turbofan engine, type F404-GE-102, with FADEC (full authority digital electronic control). It is a derivative of the 402 with additional improvements in the turbine and afterburner. The engine has twin side-mounted air intakes on either side of the fuselage under the wing

SO we still supply the engine, wings, power harness and avionics. That’s still a lot of dough.

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