KAI signs T-50TH deal with Thailand

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has signed a contract with the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) to supply two T-50TH Golden Eagle lead-in fighter trainer aircraft, the company announced on 2 August.

KAI said in a stock exchange filing that the deal, which includes a follow-up support package to facilitate localised aircraft operation and maintenance, is valued at USD78 million and that the aircraft will be delivered to the RTAF by the end of November 2023.

The contract represents the fourth and final phase of the RTAF's T-50TH programme, taking the service's fleet to 14 aircraft. The RTAF ordered two batches of four and eight T-50TH aircraft in 2015 and 2017 for USD380 million, with eight of these aircraft having been delivered. Phase 3 was a USD52.5 million upgrade of these aircraft announced in 2019.

The T-50TH is replacing the RTAF's Aero Vodochody L-39ZA Albatross lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT)/light attack aircraft operated by its light attack 401 squadron in central Thailand.

Additional RTAF trainer capability will be provided through a September 2020 contract awarded to Textron Aviation Defense to provide 12 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II turboprop trainer/light attack aircraft for USD162 million. The aircraft, which will be operated in Thailand under the designation T-6TH, are expected to enter RTAF service by 2023.

In June the RTAF's Directorate of Operations confirmed a plan to procure eight light attack aircraft from the same company for USD131 million. This procurement is thought to feature Textron's AT-6 Wolverine platform, although the contract is yet to be finalised.