Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1517379
On December 29th the Armament Agency announced that the process during which the KAI FA-50GF Fighting Eagles were handed off has been finalized. As the release shows, the Air Force took timely delivery of 12 jets supplied by the Koreans throughout the year 2023. One should note that the deliveries progressed at a rapid pace. The agreement on procurement of 48 airframes was signed in September 2022. The first two FA-50GF jets were transported (by a cargo plane) to Warsaw in July 2023, and the last two aircraft were delivered in the same way on November 26th. After being transported to the 23rd Tactical Air Base in Minsk Mazowiecki the jets were re- assembled, and handing off and test flights began. In their current configuration, the Polish FA-50GFs (GF standing for Gap-Filler) would be used primarily for training the Air Force personnel. This is caused by the shortage of air-to-air and air- -to-surface weapons within the Polish Air Force's stockpile. Rapid delivery of the first 12 jets is a result of manufacturing slots exchange between the Republic of Korea and Poland. Let us recall: KAI and DAPA concluded a contract on de- livery of 20 examples coming in the TA-50 Block 2 variant in June 2020. The contract is expected to be finalized by 2024. Meanwhile, the Armament Agency procured 48 jets in September 2022. According to the declarations made back then, the first dozen were to be received by the Polish Air Force by the end of 2023, allowing the branch to partially fill the gap after some of the Polish MiG-29 had been trans- ferred to Ukraine. Furthermore, the new aircraft would also, to a certain extent, diminish the mission workload currently imposed on the F-16C/D Jastrząb MRCA - especially when it comes to operational training and training sorties. An in- -depth upgrade of all 12 jets up to the FA-50PL Block 20 stan- dard has been planned to happen after 2025. That work will, By the end of the year, the delivery of the KAI FA-50GF Fighting Eagle jets was finalized, making it possible for the 23rd Tactical Air Base in Minsk Mazowiecki to be rearmed. Image Credit: Armament Agency www.fragoutmag.com