Poland’s move towards the FA-50 light attack aircraft produced by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is unusual.
Poland’s coalition government, which came to power in December last year, is in the process of getting rid of the deep corruption committed by the previous Law and Justice Party (PiS) government.
Polish Air Force FA-50GF and MiG-29 fly together. Segye Ilbo file photo
It appears that the FA-50, contracted under the previous administration, is also being discussed. Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister, Cesari Tomczyk, told parliament on the 12th (local time) that he would request a thorough investigation by the National Audit Office, saying, “The purchase decision was made quickly, within a few days, and the interests of Poland and the Polish military were not considered. “
KAI has completed delivery of 12 of the 48 FA-50s (FA-50GF) intended to be sold to Poland since July last year. It is an improved version of the TA-50 Block 2 trainer. Currently, some aircraft are having difficulty flying normally, and KAI is operating.
The remaining 36 FA-50PLs, with improved avionics and weapons, are expected to be delivered by 2028.
Many interpret Poland’s move as a political ploy targeting the previous government. However, given the risks associated with FA-50, it is very likely that this conflict will happen again.
KAI employees inspect the TA-50 in the fixed-wing building of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do. Segye Ilbo file photo
◆“Whenever you ask for something quickly…”
KAI delivered 12 FA-50GFs to Poland in December last year. This was achieved one year and three months after signing the contract.
Korea recovered some of the TA-50 Block 2 units that the Air Force intended to use and quickly sent them to Poland. This would not have been possible without the active support of the government and the military.
A government source said, “Government and military leaders, including then-Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop, did their best to comply with Poland’s request, including withdrawing and sending supplies for the Korean Air Force despite concerns about power vacuum. “
He also said, “Even if only the specifications (weapons) are a problem, we will have an uncomfortable relationship with each other, but now that the government has changed, you say you will examine the contract process (Poland ) going to fight the Korean government?”
The area where Poland raises issues is the FA-50 armament. Deputy Minister Tomchik said, “The weapon to be installed is not included in the contract, so it can only be used for training purposes. The production of weapons suitable for this model has come to ben, so we’re looking for used ones.”
This claim is only partially true. Like the Korean Air Force, the FA-50GF uses American weapons. The F-16 also uses Joint Direct Attack Weapons (JDAM), AGM-65 air-to-surface missiles, and unguided bombs.
Since Poland operates the F-16, it can divert some of the F-16 armament and purchase the remaining supplies from the United States in the future.
A Philippine Air Force FA-50 is flying. Segye Ilbo file photo
The situation is different for short-range air-to-air missiles. The Korean FA-50 and Polish FA-50GF have the AIM-9M.
The AIM-9M is a weapon first delivered to the US Air Force in 1983. Korea imported them in the early 1990s and still has hundreds of them in storage. There are no major problems with the Korean Air Force FA-50.
Poland only has the latest model, the AIM-9X. You need to get the M type separately, but due to the war in Ukraine, a large number of used guided weapons such as the M type and SISS Sparrow were transferred to Ukraine, so it is not easy to get them. In the current situation, the FA-50GF is not capable of air combat.
It is noted that this is something that the previous Polish government should take responsibility for. The previous Polish government focused only on the rapid import of the FA-50GF, ignoring the fact that there was no AIM-9M type in the country’s air force arsenal. It is absurd to place criticism entirely on Korea, which supplied aircraft in accordance with Poland’s requirements.
KAI is also not free from all responsibility. It is assessed that the speed of delivery of related equipment, including the FA-50 simulator, to Poland is not slow compared to global fighter jet transactions.
However, although it has long been considered that the aviation armament fitted to the FA-50 is not sufficient for modern warfare due to its short range, it is difficult to avoid the point that Poland has had room to complain by failing to rush to strengthen. its innovative attack force.
With the supply of the FA-50PL to Poland and the FA-50M to Malaysia, it is noted that there is a need to improve the performance of the FA-50 with a focus on strengthening its attack power.
A Polish Air Force FA-50GF is moving on the ground at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, Gyeongnam. Segye Ilbo file photo
◆ The risks related to FA-50PL are
There is a widespread view in the Polish and Korean defense industries that the 36 FA-50PLs that KAI will transfer to Poland by 2028 will have more complex potential risks.
According to local media reports in Poland, the FA-50PL is equipped with the United States RTX (formerly Raytheon) Phantom Strike Active Scanning Electronically (AESA) radar and an AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile.
The Polish military, which uses the X-type for the F-16, preferred to use the
It has been decided what weapons and equipment will be fitted to the FA-50PL, but feasibility is a separate matter.
FA-50PL has complex stakeholders. Radar and missiles will be handled by RTX, system integration will be handled by Lockheed Martin, and KAI will handle overall assembly and delivery.
There are certain things that require US government approval regarding weapons. The same goes for the AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missile that Poland wants.
Two governments, Korea and the United States, and three companies are involved, and the success or failure of the new aircraft configuration depends on the United States. Even if KAI does his best, he can’t completely control everything.
While it would be ideal for the US government to give comprehensive approval, it is unclear whether Poland and KAI will get their way. The US has a precedent of refusing to integrate the AIM-120 into the KF-21.
AIM-9 short-range air-to-air missile mounted on the F-16 fighter jet. Segye Ilbo file photo
According to local media, Deputy Defense Minister Tomchik appeared before Congress and said, “We look forward to the support of the United States for the modernization of FA-50. “The United States must agree to the elements related to the FA-50 weapons,” he said, but “it is very difficult to negotiate after the contract has expired.”
Risks also depend on technical and financial variables. In general, the integration of guided missiles and bombs into a new radar whose performance and system integration with airborne weapons has not been properly validated has significant potential risks in terms of time and cost.
It is difficult to predict which problems will arise during the integration process, and it takes time to find and correct them.
The cost is also significant. It cost tens of millions of earned dollars to integrate the Taurus air-to-surface missile into the ROK Air Force F-15K.
Considering that the service estimates of foreign companies are high and that it must have improved air-to-ground and air-to-air capabilities, the cost of FA-50PL system integration may well exceed 100 billion won . There is concern that there will be controversy over who will bear these costs and how.
The integration of AIM-120 and FA-50PL, which is often discussed in Poland, may also be controversial. KAI is preparing a feasibility study in this regard, which also requires permission from the United States.
Whether due to political or technical reasons, controversy is inevitable in Poland if the installation of AIM-120 becomes difficult. The FA-50PL replaces the Mig-29. The MiG-29 had mid-range dogfighting capabilities. This is why there is a tendency in Poland to want the FA-50PL to have similar capabilities.
However, if only AIM-9X is installed, mid-range aerial combat is impossible. The ASRAM air-to-air missile, manufactured by Europe’s MBDA, has a maximum range of 60 km, so it can solve this problem to some extent, but replacing the armor also has time and cost issues.
The rising prices of aviation weapons are also a problem. It is easy to find items among aviation weapons whose prices have skyrocketed due to the continued decline in production capacity of weapons factories since the end of the Cold War, supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19, and a surge in the demand because of the war in Ukraine.
A Polish Air Force FA-50GF waits on the runway. Segye Ilbo file photo
Until a few years ago, the price of the German-made IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile, which is also mounted on the KF-21, was 300 to 400 million won per missile. It has now surpassed 1 billion won. The price of AIM-9X has also risen significantly due to rapid demand.
AIM-120 is also used in the NASAMS surface-to-air missile system deployed in Ukraine, and demand has increased as countries around the world move to increase weapons, and there are signs of price increases as a result.
Once the price of an item goes up, it doesn’t go down easily. This means that the price of aviation weapons could rise further in the future.
The export of the FA-50 to Poland happened very quickly in the midst of the rapidly developing situation in Eastern Europe following the Ukraine War. Thanks to this, we were able to win the order, but we were left with potential technological and cost risks in areas such as radar, aviation weapons, and systems integration.
With the change in government in Poland, it seems that this problem is slowly coming to the surface. The coverage focuses on the moves of the current Polish government, which even brought a thank you card, and the FA-50PL development process.
Reporter Park Soo-chan psc@segye.com
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