The delivery ceremony of the first FA-50 GF fighter aircraft for the Polish Air Force took place at the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) facilities in Saecheon, in the presence of important personalities.
Oficjalny roll-out FA-50, czyli uroczyste wyprowadzenie z zakładów KAI Factory pierwszego samolotu FA-50 produkcji ????????, zakupionego na wyposażenie #WojskoPolskie????????. pic.twitter.com/ScWNpz9RSw
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej ???????? (@MON_GOV_PL) June 7, 2023
The launch ceremony was attended by KAI President Koo-Young Kang, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Mariusz Właszczak, Defense Minister Jong-seop Lee, First Vice Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Chang Young-jin, Air Force Chief of Staff. Jeong Sang-hwa, Polish Air Force Commander Irenaeus Novak, Defense Agency Director Eom Dong-hwan and Piotr Ostashev. About 100 officials attended.
“It should be emphasized that very good Polish-Korean cooperation means not only the aircraft purchase agreement but also a training, logistics and simulator packages. We currently negotiate a service center construction in Poland, based on cooperation between Korea Aerospace Industries and the Polish Armaments Group. It will enable us to train pilots using own training base and service the FA-50s in Poland. The purchase of the FA-50 is part of a larger project. Building Polish Armed Forces capable to deter the aggressor. Cooperation with the Republic of Korea significantly contributes to strengthening Poland’s security”, Mariusz Właszczak said during the ceremony.
On September 16, 2022, the head of the Ministry of National Defense approved 2 executive agreements for the procurement from South Korea of FA-50 light combat aircraft with a configuration similar to that ordered by the Republic of Korea Air Force, along with training and logistics packages and technical support services.
폴란드 수출형 FA-50 GF 1호기 출고식
이종섭 국방부 장관은 6.7.(수), 폴란드 마리우슈 부아쉬착(Mariusz Blaszczak) 부총리 겸 국방장관과 함께 한국항공우주산업(KAI) 사천 격납고에서 개최된 FA-50 GF 전투기 최초 출고식 행사에 참석했습니다.#국방부 #FA_50 #폴란드 #K방산 #방산협력 pic.twitter.com/GRBU1RWkto
— 국방부 트위터 대변인 (@ROK_MND) June 7, 2023
FA-50GF, a quick replacement
The aircraft in the first FA-50 batch for Poland are designated FA-50GF (Gap Filler) because they fill the gap left by the decommissioning of MiG-29 fighters (being delivered to Ukraine) inherited from the Soviet era. The FA-50GF will undergo a flight test in July and will begin delivery in August. The 12 contracted units are to be delivered to Poland during the remainder of this year.
One FA-50 advantage noted by the Polish Air Force is its high interoperability with the F-16 (from which it is derived) and its compatibility with currently available ground facilities and equipment.
See also: Why did the FA-50 win in Poland? F-15EX and KF-21 on the horizon
And next, the advanced FA-50PL
KAI will deliver 36 of the 48 units under the Polish contract in the FA-50PL (Poland) version, an upgraded version of the FA-50 to Polish specifications, from the second half of 2025 to 2028.
While not specified in the original agreement, KAI confirmed that the FA-50PL will have in-flight refueling capability. Poland selected Raytheon’s AESA PhantomStrike radar to equip its 36 upgraded aircraft. They will also carry advanced air-to-air and air-to-surface weaponry, such as AMRAAM missiles, Maverik missiles, laser- and satellite-guided bombs, etc., as well as the Sniper laser designation pod.
But in addition to its combat capability, the FA-50PL is optimized for the preparation and training of pilots to make the transition to fifth-generation fighters, such as the F-35s that Poland will field.
