Farnborough 2012: KAI confident T-50 family ready for Philippines, other international markets

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.

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James Hardy | Janes.Com | July 13, 2012 | Article Link

DND eyes Korea, Brazil for military aircraft

The Department of National Defense said Thursday that it is eyeing government-to-government transactions with South Korea and Brazil for the procurement of T-50 advanced jet trainers and Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano turboprop light attack aircraft.

 

In a phone patch interview with reporters, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that these aircraft are needed to protect Philippine airspace.

 

The South Korean built T-50 is a supersonic trainer that can also perform in the light-strike role. The Super Tucano is designed for light attack, counter insurgency (COIN), close air support, aerial reconnaissance missions.

 

Government-to-government, or G2G, transactions are non-commercial interactions between two governments’ organizations, departments, and authorities.

 

Gazmin made the disclosure amid criticisms from Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casiño that the use of G2G transactions in the acquisition of military equipment is prone to corruption due to lack of bidding.

 

Gazmin countered that G2G transactions will eliminate middlemen who benefit from commissions, thereby resulting in cheaper acquisition prices.

 

Also, Gazmin gave assurances that under the transparency program of the Aquino administration, “all contracts and processes are open to scrutiny by the people.” He said this transparency is being observed in the bidding for similar assets.

 

“If you are going to go through a third party, there will be commissions and the price will be higher. Now, in government to government (deals), middle men are avoided and at the same time, government officials are accountable in their dealings,” he said.

 

The DND is also looking to obtain ships and communication equipment from either South Korea, Italy, France, Great Britain or Brazil. These acquisitions are also to be carried out through G2G transactions.

 

“But nothing is final yet,” said Gazmin.

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GMA News Online | June 21, 2012 | Article Link

Air Force to beef up fleet with South Korean-made jets

MANILA, Philippines - As part of the modernization of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), the military plans to acquire a dozen South Korean-made fighter jets in the coming months.

Twelve TA-50 fighter jets from South Korea, each costing P1.25-B, will arrive in the Philippines by 2013, ABS-CBN News reported Wednesday, June 20.

The total cost will be P25 billion, or around US $ 591 million.

The TA-50 aircraft is based on the T-50 supersonic trainer jet, and, according to Yonhap News, is a "full-fledged attack platform" that can carry precision-guided weapons.

The fighter jet is part of the T-50 family of aircraft, developed by the Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. The T-50 family is touted as the "only 21st century supersonic advanced trainer and light attack jet."

The TA-50 has an embedded radar and reinforced weapon capacity compared to the original T-50 model, and is said to be fitted with machine guns and AIM-9 Sidewinder weapons, and can carry bombs and AGM-65 Maverick missiles. It was first built last year.

The acquisition of the fighter jets is part of the P70 billion modernization plan for the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the current administration.

The planes will be part of the aging and minimal PAF fleet, which currently only has 2, 25-year-old S-211 trainer jets and an unusable F-5 fighter jet.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told ABS-CBN News that beefing up the country's air defense capabilities is needed to strengthen not just the fleet but also our image abroad.

Last month, President Benigno Aquino III said the government has been planning to purchase fighter jets made outside the United States.

Back in April, the country requested aircraft, patrol boats and radar systems from the US military to help it achieve "minimum credible defense."

Among the choices the government had, Aquino said back in May, was to buy second-hand F-16s from the US, but maintenance costs could be too high because of their age.

The country previously relied on obsolete US hand-me-downs, and the country currently has no effective air defenses.

The news also came as the standoff between the Philippines and China enters its 3rd month

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Rappler.Com | June 20, 2012 | Article Link

Italy's Alenia seeks to supply DND up to P6.87-B worth of aircraft

Italy's Alenia Aermachi S.p.A. is offering the Department of National Defense four to six units of its €20-million apiece M-346 surface attack plane, the firm’s local partner, Aerotech Industries told GMA News Online.

Aerotech Industries chief operating officer Tess Parian said the P1.14 billion price tag on each M-346 “could still change depending on the requirements or specifications the Philippine Air Force may provide later.”

The four-to-six-unit package would cost about P4.58 billion to P6.87 billion at the current exchange rat of P57.28:€1.

Parian said their likely competitor for the supply contract is the Korea Aerospace Industries—maker of the T-50—which Alenia Aermacchi was up against in supply contract biddings in other countries.

Last year, Alenia Aermacchi delivered 18 new SF260FH basic trainers to the PAF.

The trainer planes are now based at the Fenando Airbase in Lipa, Batangas, home to the PAF Air Education and Traning Command.

Parian said Singapore and the United Arab Emirates chose the M-346 for their respective air forces. Singapore got 12 units of the MB-346 and the United Arab Emirates has a tender for 48 units.

“The twin-turbofan M-346 is the most advanced lead-in fighter trainer flying today,” Alenia Aermacchi said on its website.

“With its fully digital flight controls and avionics, together with carefree handling and high AOA maneuvering, the M-346 is fully representative of new generation fighters,” Alena Aermacchi also said.

“... [T]he M-346 is today the only aircraft designed to meet the training needs of pilots of 4th and 5th generation combat aircraft,” it added.

Alenia Aermacchi is part of the Finmeccanica Group and has production facilities in Italy’s Venegono Superiore province. Its production area is 274,000 sqm, accomodating its 1,800 personnel. 

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Earl Rosero | GMA News Online | April 3, 2012 | Article Link