Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) participated in the "Air show Radom 2023" held at Radom Airport in Poland for two days from August 26th to 27th and conducted intensive marketing activities in the European market.
Air show Radom is an international exhibition organized by the Polish Automatyka-Mechatronika-Wojskowa (AMW), which showcased 20 types of aircraft from the Polish land, sea, and air forces as well as major European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Switzerland. The show was the largest in its history, with more than 200,000 visitors attending.
KAI participated in the air show as an official sponsor and strengthened its marketing efforts to expand the European market by showcasing its next-generation flagship lineup, including the KF-21 Korean fighter jet, LAH small armored helicopter, and NI-500VT vertical takeoff and landing drone.
In addition, the FA-50, which received local acclaim for its maiden flight over Europe on August 15 at the Polish Armed Forces Day ceremony, will make its second official flight.
KAI plans to use Poland as a marketing base for the European market and continue to market the excellence of domestic aircraft to potential customers in Europe who are in need of replacing their aging fighter jets.
The Polish Air Force plans to operate the FA-50 as a key aircraft for airspace defense, including special tactics and combat missions, replacing its existing flagship MIG-29.
Compared to the MIG-29, the FA-50 has higher flight performance, including air-to-air and air-to-ground armed capabilities, detection capabilities based on active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and aerial refueling capabilities. It is attracting attention in the European market due to its compatibility with Western weapon systems and cost-effective operation and maintenance costs.
During the air show, KAI held meetings with Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Poland Mariusz Błaszczak and senior officials of European air forces to discuss cooperation plans for follow-up business in Poland and exploring new markets.
"We were able to confirm the high level of interest in KAI's products through meetings with key figures in Europe," said Kang Koo-young, President of KAI. "Based on the excellence of Korean aircraft, we will expand the European market through optimal proposals to strengthen the air power of our customers."
Meanwhile, KAI is in the midst of its fastest-ever delivery after signing a large-scale export contract for 48 FA-50s to Poland last year, with a total of 12 aircraft scheduled to be delivered by the end of the year.
Of the 48 aircraft in the Polish contract, 36 will be delivered in the FA-50PL (Poland) variant, a performance-enhanced version of the FA-50 that reflects the needs of the Polish Air Force, starting in the second half of 2025 and continuing through 2028.
