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| Replacing Old Fighters, South Korea Develops F-50 Fighters Similar to US F16s |
Seoul - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) from South Korea revealed that they will revive the program to manufacture light and inexpensive fighter jets based on the FA-50 Fighting Eagle. Unlike the FA-50 which has a tandem seat, the new fighter jet, codenamed the F-50, will have a single seat. The advantages offered by this fighter are the unit price and operational costs which are cheaper than fighter aircraft of the F-16 class.
This is understandable, because previously KAI was involved in collaborating with Lockheed Martin in the development of the T-50A trainer aircraft for the new jet trainer program for the US Air Force (USAF). The T-50A advanced trainer jet is made by adopting the design concept and technology of the F-16 Fighting Falcon which is produced by KAI under license as the KF-16. Thus, the T-50 (later changed to FA-50) opened up opportunities for KAI to produce a new light fighter jet, the F-50.
The aircraft is claimed to be able to perform 80% of the capabilities of the F-16, but at a lower cost, as reported by Aviationline (17/1). KAI has proposed these F-50 fighter jets as a replacement for the several dozen F-5 Tiger IIs still in use by the South Korean Air Force (ROKAF) today.
In addition, the success of the recent export of the FA-50 jet to Poland, convinced KAI to continue the F-50 light fighter jet program based on the FA-50.
As is known, in the world there are still hundreds of old light fighter jets that are still operational, such as the MiG-21, F-5 Tiger ll, Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, A-4 Skyhawk, Alpha Jet, and L-39 Albatros. The F-50 is claimed to have the opportunity to replace these planes.