 Polish Ambassador |
Staff Reporter
Polish air force pilots have successfully test-flown South Korea's T-50 supersonic trainer jets as the European nation considers the T-50 as a ``frontrunner'' for its program to acquire lead-in fighter trainers, the Polish ambassador to Seoul said Sunday.
The remarks by Ambassador Marek Calka came after a Polish military delegation ended a five-day visit to South Korea from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 for talks over defense ties between Seoul and Warsaw.
``According to the Polish military delegation, the Korean T-50 meets all technical criteria to become a Polish training jet,'' Calka told The Korea Times. ``The Polish government will soon invite tenders for equipping the Polish Air Force with a training jet. Polish military experts perceive the potential Korean offer as a frontrunner.''
Poland's possible purchase of the T-50 Golden Eagle jet was high on the agenda during talks between the Polish delegates and Korean military leaders, including Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee and Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Kye-hoon, according to an embassy spokesman.
Polish Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Andrzej Blasik led the six-member delegation that also had two air force test pilots, the spokesman said.
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Informed sources say the Polish Air Force wants to buy one full squadron of jets for delivery from the third quarter of 2010.
The other contender is Finland's surplus Hawks, according to the sources. If selected, Patria, a Polish defense firm, would upgrade the Hawks, built by BAE Systems of the United Kingdom, they said.
Seoul has been pitching the T-50, co-developed by Korea Aerospace Industries and Lockheed Martin of the United States in 2001, across the globe, expecting that it would help the country become a global leader in arms exports and contribute to economic recovery.
The T-50 is competing with Italy's Aermacchi M-346 for tenders in the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, while Israel, Greece and the United States have shown interest in the aircraft.
The $25 million jet is regarded as the world's only high performance, supersonic trainer in production today. The single-engine trainer features a variety of technological advances, including digital flight controls and a modern, ground-based training system that helps new pilots to smoothly move on to advanced fighters such as the F-16 and the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
The jet can fly at a top speed of Mach 1.4 and has an operational range of 1,851 kilometers. Its service ceiling is 48,000 feet. Armaments for the trainer's attack version will include AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr
