K A I T-50 PARA LA FUERZA AEREA DE FILIPINAS

KAI confident T-50 family ready for Philippines, other international markets

By: James Hardy Published: 12 Jul 2012

Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) officials are confident of winning the Philippine Air Force's (PAF's) competition for a light-attack trainer but are playing down expectations of a quick decision.

A T-50 variant is competing with five other platforms to supply a jet-powered light-attack/trainer aircraft to Manila: AleniaAermacchi's M-346; BAE Systems' Hawk; Yakovlev's Yak-130; Aero Vodochody's L-159; and AMX International's AMX.

"We have been told that we are leading the competition but that no decision has been made yet," Sky Lee, T-50 senior marketing manager for Asia-Pacific and South American, told IHS Jane's at the Farnborough Airshow on 10 July.

The Republic of Korea Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team, which flies T-50Bs, made its European debut at a number of airshows in the UK, including Farnborough.

If Manila selects the T-50 it will become the second international customer for the platform after Indonesia, which in 2011 agreed to buy 16 T/A-50s: the light attack/lead-in fighter trainer variant of the aircraft. Reports from the Philippines have led to some confusion over which variant of the aircraft was on offer: as well as the standard unarmed T-50 trainer, KAI offers the T/A-50 and F/A-50, which both feature an Elta EL/M-2032 fire-control radar provided by South Korean manufacturer LigNex.

Lee would only say that Manila had been offered a "kind of T-50 variant. According to the customer's requirement we can modify the configuration". He added that KAI was also looking at market opportunities in Thailand and Chile. IHS Jane's reported in July 2011 that Chile was set to launch an acquisition programme to replace its Spanish-built A-36T Halcóns and had invited BAE Systems, Alenia and KAI to exhibit their fast-jet trainers at FIDAE 2012. Lee said, however, that the procurement has been delayed by at least two years.

Sang Choi, vice-president and head of international marketing, said that KAI's teaming with Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force's (USAF's) T-X programme to replace its legacy Northrop T-38 Talon trainers was of "great benefit to KAI because Lockheed Martin knows about US fifth-generation fighters ... because they manufacture them".

The US Department of Defense issued a request for information (RfI) in March 2009 calling for a family of systems including about 350 new aircraft, simulators and classroom instruction. The final request for proposals (RfP) and budget for the programme have yet to be unveiled, but USAF officials have said they hope to have a new jet trainer aircraft in service by 2017. As well as the T-50, AleniaAermacchi has said it will offer the M-346, while BAE Systems has partnered with Northrop Grumman to offer its Hawk Mk 128 Advanced Jet Trainer.

Despite budgetary pressures that have delayed the issue of an RfP, Choi was certain that the "future of the T-X programme is very good. ... I have no doubt that they will go ahead with the programme because of the current T-38s' condition".

Choi also provided some information on the fire-control radar fitted to the T/A-50 and F/A-50, saying that the Elta EL/M-2032 would be replaced by an active electronically scanned-array radar "for future programmes and international customers: we will either work with a Korean or US company".

Accepting that Lockheed Martin's close relationship with Northrop Grumman made it a more likely supplier for the T-50, Choi said: "Our only preference is for good quality with a cheap price.

"KAI may consider the recommendation of Lockheed Martin but a decision will be made by KAI engineers and KAI management. We respect Lockheed Martin a lot but a decision will be made by KAI," Choi added.

tomado de la pagina de janes

http://www.janes.com/events/exhibitions/farnborough-2012/news/july-12/KAI-confident-T-50-family-ready-Philippines.aspx

lei la revista semanal y ahi me di cuenta del articulo

Mas pisto pa la Lockheed!

Lastima mejor le hubieran entrado al MB 346, más barato de operar, más para entrenamiento.

El 346 y el Yak-130 es casi la misma cosa, pero si USA es la que va financiar parte seguro que queda el T-50.

Creo que es demasiado caro de operar para ser un avion de entrenamiento avanzado