Egypt is nearing a deal to purchase up to 100 South Korean FA-50 light attack aircraft.

The Defense Post reported on this.

Khaled Abdelrahman, Egyptian Ambassador to Seoul, stated that discussions between the two countries are progressing positively after months of negotiations for an initial order of 36 aircraft.

“We hope the technical and detailed discussions between our institutions and Korean firms will lead to a successful outcome,” Abdelrahman stated.

Egypt’s interest in the FA-50 reportedly began after the August 2022 Pyramids Air Show, where South Korea’s Black Eagles aerobatic team performed over the pyramids.

Since then, Egypt has been working on a project for an advanced trainer aircraft. Initially, 70 aircraft are planned to be purchased, with the possibility of expanding the order to 100.

The manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries, is also promoting the FA-50 in Romania. KAI has expressed interest in future cooperation with Romania’s aviation industry based on the FA-50.

This took place during the defense cooperation conference between the Republic of Korea and Romania, held in Bucharest in October 2024.

The Korean company expressed interest in joint production of certain components, as well as aircraft maintenance.

Korea Aerospace Industries also emphasizes the low cost and quick delivery of the FA-50. Specifically, during the KADEX military exhibition in Korea, company representatives showed Defense Romania a lifecycle cost comparison of the FA-50 versus the F-16.

According to them, operating 10 FA-50 attack aircraft would allow a potential operator to save two billion dollars. This calculation includes costs for the operation and maintenance of the aircraft.