Polish Pilots Begin Training On KAI FA-50
At the end of February, the first group of Polish pilots reached South Korea to participate in 23 weeks of pilot training. They will spend this time with the 1st Fighter Wing in Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul training on T-50 Golden Eagle and TA-50.
Back in 2022, the Polish government signed the deal for the delivery of 48 FA-50. Poland will receive 12 FA-50 Block 10 and 36 FA-50PL Block 20. The light attack and training aircraft are the direct result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The planes are supposed to replace the ex-Soviet MiG-29s and Su-22M4Ks.
According to the deal signed in July 2022, the training package includes simulator equipment and pilot training, in the first stage in South Korea and then in Polish. The agreement also provides for technology transfer, as a result of which the FA-50PL aircraft service center will be built in Poland, with a planned launch date in 2026.
All contracted FA-50 aircraft will be equipped with Link-16 and NATO “friend or foe” identification systems (IFF). The aircraft acquired under the second stage of the order will have increased operational capabilities, which will be achieved as a result of changes in armament, operational range, avionics, and radar, in accordance with the Block 20 standard.
The Polish Air Force will receive the first of its FA-50s this year and deliveries of the first batch will be completed by 2025, according to the Ministry of Defense. The delivery of the second batch of jets, namely the FA-50PL Block 20, will conclude in 2028. The second group of Polish pilots to conduct training on the TA/FA-50 platform will reach Korea in a couple of weeks.
The FA-50s will provide a small but significant boost to the capability of the Polish Air Force. Their capacity to carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, AGM-65 Maverick guided bombs, and other types of munitions make them versatile yet light jets. However, there is plenty of domestic criticism of the Polish government decision, especially regarding the type of plane chosen and the overall limitation of the FA-50 as a platform.