Article Posted on : - May 26, 2011

KAI T-50 Golden Eagle.

SEOUL (BNS): South Korea has signed a $400 million contract to supply T-50 Golden Eagle trainer aircraft to Indonesia, Korea Aerospace Industries ( KAI) said on Wednesday.

The country, for the first time, will be exporting 16 supersonic aircraft, which was jointly manufactured by KAI and Lockheed Martin of US, as per media reports.

According to a statement issued by KAI, the company will deliver the fighters to the Indonesian Air Force by 2013 to replace the country’s aging fleet, the Sacheon. South Korea will also transfer technology to Indonesia as part of the agreement.

The T-50 Golden Eagle is a family of South Korean supersonic advanced trainers and multirole fighters. The T-50 design is largely derived from the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, and they have many similarities: use of a single engine, speed, size, cost, and the range of weapons.

Currently, the aircraft are being used as training advanced combat fighter pilots at South Korean Air Force bases.