A Polish Air Force FA-50GF (Gap Filler) participated in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Days 2023 in Ostrava, Czech Republic, showcasing the excellence of Korean aircraft.
This is the first time a Korean aircraft has participated in a NATO event. The exhibition, which came a year after Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed an export contract with Poland for the FA-50 on September 16 last year, is said to have raised the profile of K-Defense.
NATO Days 2023, held from Sept. 16 to 17 (local time), was the 23rd edition of the event and featured displays, flights and military exercises of various military aircraft operated by 16 NATO member countries including the Czech Republic, the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as Brazil, Austria and Switzerland.
This year, Poland participated as a special partner country for NATO Days 2023, and the FA-50GF, which is being delivered to the Polish Air Force, was displayed at NATO Days 2023.
The first and second Polish export FA-50GFs made their maiden flight in the European skies on Poland's National Armed Forces Day (Aug. 15) and have been in the spotlight as a key replacement for the MiG-29, Poland's flagship fighter aircraft.
KAI is on track to deliver 48 FA-50s to Poland in the shortest time frame ever after signing a large-scale export contract, with 12 FA-50GFs scheduled to be delivered by the end of the year.
Of the 48 FA-50s contracted for Poland, 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.
The FA-50PL boasts superior air-to-air and air-to-ground armament compared to the MiG-29 fighter, as well as high operational capabilities such as network-centric warfare using AESA radar and datalink, and aerial refueling capability.
