Egypt plans to locally manufacture South Korea’s advanced training aircraft T-50 after signing an agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).
Egypt’s state-owned Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) and South Korea’s KAI have agreed to localize the technology of manufacturing an advanced training aircraft to meet Egypt’s defense needs and also to export the aircraft to other African and Arab countries. The aircraft will be built at the AOI Aircraft Factory in Helwan.
In a statement released on January 15, the AOI said that its chairman Mokhtar Abdel-Latif met the South Korean delegation that included members of parliament as well as KAI and Hanwha Aerospace officials in Cairo. They discussed partnerships to improve “local manufacturing, transfer and localization of technology” combining the Arab industrialization capabilities and South Korean technology expertise.
Egypt’s requirement to replace its aging Alpha Jet and K-8 trainers could potentially be as large as 100 aircraft, according to South Korean media. Besides KAI T-50, Egypt is also evaluating the Leonardo M-346, the Aero L-39NG, and Embraer Super Tucano.
Prior to the agreement, the South Korean aerobatic display team “Black Eagles” flew the Golden Eagle jets alongside Egypt’s “Silver Stars” over the Giza pyramids during an air show in August 2022.
T-50 aircraft: T-50 is a single-engine two-seat supersonic advanced trainer aircraft and light attack platform. T-50’s light combat version FA-50, manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), is an affordable and efficient supersonic advanced light attack platform.
T-50 is known as Korea’s first homegrown aircraft to train next-generation fighter pilots. The first T-50 Golden Eagle flew with the ROKAF in 2005, and since 2011 it has been used to train pilots in Indonesia, Thailand, Iraq, and the Philippines.
T-50 specifications
- Maximum speed of Mach 1.5
- Powered by General Electric F404 turbofan and afterburner.
- 360°-view and glass cockpit with human-machine interface
- Fully integrated avionics system with digital technologies
