Pilots of the Polish Air Force have completed training on the FA-50 light combat aircraft in South Korea.

Mariusz Błaszczak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Poland, made the announcement.

The pilots will soon return home and begin flying in Polish airspace.

During training in South Korea on the FA-50 Fighting Eagle, Polish pilots acquired skills in combat use, air combat and interception of air targets.

As previously reported, at the beginning of June, the Republic of Korea handed over to Poland the first FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft by the KAI Factory.

FA-50 for Polish Air Force

Last September, Poland signed two contracts for the purchase of the Korean Aerospace Industries FA-50s.

The first agreement provides for the delivery of 12 FA-50 light combat aircraft in the same configuration that the Republic of Korea Air Force also has. Along with the aircraft, the contract entails training, logistics and technical support.

The value of this contract is about $705 million. The aircraft should be delivered to the Polish Air Force in the second half of 2023, and the supply of all components will be completed by the end of 2025.

The second contract provides for the supply of 36 FA-50PL aircraft, including training, logistics and technical support packages.

The value of this contract is about $ 2.3 billion. These combat aircraft will be made in a configuration that meets the additional requirements of the Polish Air Force. The delivery of the aircraft will begin in 2025 and will be completed by the end of 2028.

The training package includes, among other things, the supply of a flight simulator and a combat simulator (Flight Model Simulator and Operational Flight Trainer), training of pilots and technical staff in the Republic of Korea and Poland. Also, a maintenance and repair hub for FA-50 aircraft will be created on the customer’s territory.

Eventually, the first 12 delivered FA-50s will be upgraded to the FA-50PL version.