First FA-50 for Poland rolls out as security ties deepen

The first Korean FA-50 light attack aircraft earmarked for export to Poland was rolled out in a Wednesday ceremony that highlighted the two countries' growing defense industry ties.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup stand in the center of a photo lineup at a Wednesday ceremony in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, marking the rollout of the first FA-50 light attack aircraft designated for export to Poland. [KOREA AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES]

The first Korean FA-50 light attack aircraft earmarked for export to Poland was rolled out in a Wednesday ceremony that highlighted the two countries' growing defense industry ties.

The ceremony, titled “Firm Commitment, Secure Future,” took place at the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang.

KAI is scheduled to deliver 12 FA-50s before the end of the year as part of a contract it signed with Poland’s Armament Agency to supply Warsaw with 48 FA-50 aircraft.

The aircraft are formally designated as FA-50GF, with the GF standing for “gap-filler,” highlighting the jets’ intended role as replacements for Poland’s aging fleet.

The ceremony was attended by Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak.

Others in attendance included Korean Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Jung Sang-hwa and Defense Acquisition Program Administration director Eom Dong-hwan.

Lee attributed the quick turnaround between the signing of KAI’s contract with Warsaw and the rollout of the first FA-50 jet “not only to the company’s outstanding technology and production capacity but also to the trust between the two countries and Poland's determination.”

Blaszczak said that swift production has bolstered his country’s ongoing rearmament.

“Thanks to the speedy release of FA-50GF, Poland is now able to equip itself with more advanced military strategies and realize military modernization,” he said, adding, “I look forward to seeing FA-50GF fly in the airspace of Poland.”

The other 36 FA-50 jets that are scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2028 will be an upgraded version, named the FA-50PL.

Improvements that distinguish the FA-50PL from the FA-50GP include an expanded range through an aerial refueling function, an enhanced active electronically scanned array radar, and its ability to carry air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons, according to KAI.

Poland became the largest customer of Korean defense systems last year after it signed contracts worth $14 billion to acquire 180 K2 main battle tanks, 212 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 48 FA-50 light fighters.

The deals are part of a massive rearmament push by Warsaw amid the ongoing Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Poland’s largest defense company, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), has also expressed interest in Korea’s KF-21 Boramae multirole fighter project, according to a recent report by Polish media.

PGZ officials told the Polish news outlet Defence24 last month that they are eyeing 2026 as the timeframe where they would commit to the KF-21 program.

The sources also told Defence24 that “it is possible there will be future industrial cooperation in the development and production of the KF-21 Boramae, where the natural partner for KAI would be, among others, Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze [Military Aviation Plant] No. 2 in Bydgoszcz.”

That plant is a leader in aviation assembly and maintenance in Poland, with experience in the maintenance and restoration of F-16s and the C-130 Hercules.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]