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

Russia’s Yak-130 Joins Philippine Combat Trainer Tender

Russia has decided to join a tender on the delivery of six light fighter jets to the Philippines with its new Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainer, state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday.

“We are taking part in the Philippine tender with the Yak-130 aircraft,” deputy general director of Rosoboronexport, Viktor Komardin, said at the Defense Services Asia-2012 arms show in Malaysia.

The tender for six aircraft to replace the retired U.S.-built Northrop F-5A Tiger fighters was announced last year. The results will be made public in two to three months, the Russian official said. Two rival designs, the Italian Alenia Aermacchi M-346 and South Korea's KAI TA-50, are also competing in the tender

The Philippines is a new market for Russian arms exporters. Manila used to order military equipment mainly from the United States.

“We regard this tender as an opportunity to expand our influence in the region and to demonstrate the capabilities of our military equipment,” Komardin said.

The Yak-130 is a highly maneuverable aircraft with an extended range of about 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and a maximum speed of 1,060 km/h (600 m/h) in level flight. It can carry a combat payload of up to 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds), consisting of a variety of Russian and Western developed weapons.

The Yak-130 has been chosen as a basic aircraft for Russian Air Force pilot training. First deliveries started in 2009.

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RIA Novosti | April 18, 2012 | Article Link