KAI to focus on Egypt project after FA-50 export deal with Malaysia

• Published date: 01 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

GEELONG, Australia ? A recent deal to export 18 FA-50 domestically-developed light attack fighters to Malaysia has paved the way for Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to create other stories of success as it aims to continue to expand its global reach.

The next goal of the nation's sole jet maker this year is to win the preferred bidder status for Egypt's project to locally produce jet trainers and lightweight fighters in collaboration with a foreign company, KAI CEO Kang Gu-young told reporters at its promotion booth set up for the Avalon Airshow here Wednesday.

KAI will be the company's first foray into Africa's military aircraft market if it inks a contract to export more than 100 T-50 Golden Eagle planes, a family of its supersonic jet trainers and light combat aircraft, over rival bidders such as China's L-15 and Italy's M-346.

"Egypt's strategic geographic location (between the northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia) would then open many other doors of opportunity," Kang said.

KAI's ultimate objective is to export its aircraft to the United States, a market for the world's greatest jet makers. That would elevate KAI's status and provide momentum for its next vision of becoming a key player in the international aerospace industry, Kang added.

Signs indicate that the prospects of the Egyptian deal are bright. Invited by its government, the Black Eagles, Korea's aerobatic team, flied over the pyramids in the first such performance by a foreign military during the Pyramids Air Show 2022 in Giza.

In recent years, many countries around the world have shown great interest in what KAI can currently offer and also in what it could in the future, Kang said. One of such projects is the KF-21, an advanced multirole combat jet under development. Following its...