First Polish Air Force FA-50 revealed to public

On 7 June 2023, the first Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 was officially revealed to the public during a roll-out ceremony at the company's factory in Sacheon (South Korea). The type is presented as the FA-50GF, better known as Gap Filler.

The ceremony was attended by the South Korean Minister of Defence Lee Jong-sup and his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, as well as South Korea’s Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Jung Sang-hwa and Defence Acquisition Programme Administration chief Eom Dong-hwan.

Marius Blaszczak mentioned that the swift roll-out of the first aircraft contributes to Poland’s reinforcement efforts and that the country is now able to equip itself with more advanced military strategies and realise the military modernisation.

The contract for the purchase of 48 KAI FA-50 light attack aircraft was only recently, September 2022, signed. Scramble Magazine first reported on a possible contract for the South Korean fighter aircraft on 27 July 2022.

A number of FA-50GFs are being flight tested at this moment, and KAI plans to supply the twelve FA-50GFs by the end of this year. Deliveries of the 36 FA-50PL Block 20 will be delivered from the latter half of 2025 through 2028.

Photo by KAI